British American Tobacco Company Allegedly Abandons Worker Whose Fingers Were Chopped Off By Machine In Ibadan Factory
Ebenezer, who is currently battling to recover from the injury, told SaharaReporters that the incident occurred on October 15 while he was carrying out his duties at the BAT factory in Ibadan.
A worker with the British American Tobacco (BAT) Company in Ibadan, Oyo State, Mr. Akindele Ebenezer, has accused the company of abandoning him after he lost two fingers in a horrific workplace accident allegedly caused by negligence from his supervisor.
Ebenezer, who is currently battling to recover from the injury, told SaharaReporters that the incident occurred on October 15 while he was carrying out his duties at the BAT factory in Ibadan.
He alleged that his supervisor, identified as Mr. Bolaji Ojo, instructed him to insert his hand into an operational machine known as the Fibex machine to remove some foreign materials that had blocked it, leading to the tragic loss of his fingers.
“My name is Akindele Ebenezer. I hail from Ogun State but currently reside in Ibadan, on Olusanya Street. This incident happened on October 15 while I was at work,” he said from his sickbed.
He narrated that the Fibex machine, which is used in the production and refining of dust materials, had developed a fault after foreign materials were mistakenly loaded into it.
“On that particular day, they had loaded dust inside it, and I was instructed to go and transfer it. When I got there to carry out the transfer, I discovered that foreign materials had been loaded into the machine instead of the normal materials we usually use for production,” he said.
Ebenezer explained that during the process, he noticed a blockage in the machine and decided to switch it off to remove the obstruction.
“I went to get my tools, switched off the machine, and dismantled it to remove all the dirt that had caused the blockage. When I tried to switch the machine back on, I noticed it wasn’t working properly, so I turned it off again,” he explained.
He said he immediately called his supervisor to come and inspect the machine since he was only a contract worker and could not make technical decisions without authorisation.
“My boss, Mr. Bolaji Ojo, came, and I explained what had happened. He told me to loosen the machine and bring it down. The machine was on at that time, and when he saw air coming out, he told me to couple it back. However, the machine still wasn’t working, and he told me we would loosen it again,” Ebenezer said.
According to him, he reminded his boss to switch off the machine before he continued loosening the parts, but the instruction was ignored.
“I told my boss to switch off the machine because I was holding the tools, but while I was loosening the parts, I noticed he was standing behind me even after I had reminded him to turn it off. Then he told me to put my hand inside the machine to remove the dirt. Immediately I inserted my hand, the machine chopped off my fingers,” he said in pain.
He stated that when he questioned his boss on why he failed to turn off the machine, Ojo responded that he had forgotten.
“I asked him how he could forget when we were both standing there together,” he added.
According to Ebenezer, he was immediately rushed to the company’s medical center, where they tried to stop the bleeding before transferring him to a hospital along Mobile Road.
The doctor at the facility, however, said he could not carry out the operation and referred him to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).
“When we got to LASUTH, the doctors said if more than six hours had passed, they would not be able to stitch the fingers back. Unfortunately, there was heavy traffic on the way, and by the time we reached LASUTH and paid for the required tests, the doctor said it was too late to carry out the operation. A woman doctor who was later recommended to handle the surgery said there was no bed available,” he said.
He said that by midnight, the hospital staff told them there was still no bed space, so his hand was only bandaged without proper treatment.
“Later, I realised that one of the doctors at LASUTH wanted us to come to one private hospital that same day, but he was still on duty at LASUTH. They only bandaged my hand and left me like that,” he said.
Ebenezer stated that the contracting firm that hired workers, RIL, came the following day and took him to a private hospital at No. 2 Martin Street, Oju-Elegba, Lagos.
However, both British American Tobacco and RIL allegedly refused to pay the full amount for his medical treatment.
“The doctor said the surgery would cost ₦4 million, but the company only paid ₦1 million. Because of that, the doctor has stopped my treatment, saying he needs the full payment to buy the materials required for my care,” he said.
He alleged that the British American Tobacco Company and its contracting firm are now trying to disown him after the incident, claiming that he was not a permanent employee.
“The company said I am only a contract staff, not their real staff, and that they are not responsible for my hospital bills. They have abandoned me to my fate,” Ebenezer lamented.
In gory videos and pictures obtained by SaharaReporters, Ebenezer’s two fingers were seen completely chopped off, while parts of his flesh were reportedly cut to support his damaged hand during treatment.
From his hospital bed, Ebenezer made an emotional appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, and well-meaning Nigerians to come to his rescue.
“I am calling on President Tinubu, Senate President Akpabio, Speaker Abbas, and all Nigerians to please come to my aid. The company has abandoned me after I got this injury while working for them. I am in pain, and they want to leave me to die. I just need help to survive and get proper treatment,” he said tearfully.
When SaharaReporters contacted the PMD Manager of British American Tobacco Company, Mr. Valentine, he said the matter would be escalated to the appropriate channel.
He stated, “Your message has been well received. Permit me to escalate this matter to the appropriate channel, which will follow up and address it immediately. Thank you for sharing your concern.”
All efforts to reach the RIL Supervisor, Mr. Elvis, at British American Tobacco Company were unsuccessful, as he refused to answer his calls or respond to messages sent to him.
