Toxic Waste From Chinese Company Kills Three In Ondo Forest Reserve

Three persons are killed by toxic industrial waste from a Chinese company, WeWood, in Okitipupa government Area of Ondo State. 

The victims, Monday Akinmusire, Samuel Louis and Ododolewa Adebowale, died last week during a forest reserve within the town following the discharge of the deadly chemical.

NaijaGistReporters findings shows that the trio had gone into the forest to fell trees purchasable when the incident occurred. 

It was also gathered that two of the deceased, Akinmusire and Louis, were into wood business while Adebowale was already writing his West African Senior School Certificate Examination at the time of the incident. 

A loved one of 1 of the victims, Akinmusire Emmanuel, revealed that the victims visited the forest but never returned early, prompting their loved ones to initiate an enquiry party.

He added that the team visited the forest and saw the motorcycle of the three victims, which further raised concerns about the whereabouts of the trio. 

According to him, after the team couldn't locate the trio, they quickly reported to the normal head of the community, the Olufara of Akinfosile, Oba Olamide Ayodele. 

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Emmanuel further explained that the normal head had to call the eye of the Divisional policeman , the Vigilante Corps, and Amotekun Corps to tell them about the event .

He added that the joint security task force went into the forest and located their bodies inside a ditch covered with some black substance.

"The bodies of the victims were seen on the flowing track of the toxic industrial waste which killed them instantly as there was no sign that they attempted to struggle with death," he said.

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The bodies of the victims were later evacuated and deposited at the morgue of a personal hospital in Ore.

The deaths of the victims led to a protest among youths of the community, who stormed the corporate to demand answers to the incident. 

Our correspondent gathered that the Ondo government had leased the forest to the Wewood Company, which is into cassava ethanol processing to clear and replant trees thereby allowing saw millers and plank dealers to fell the prevailing trees.

Although residents of the community disclosed that those into wood business and using the forest, were paying tax to officialdom monitoring their activities.

A staff of the Chinese firm confirmed the incident to our correspondent on Sunday.

Lawyer to the victims, Dayo Akindejoye, condemned the incident, promising to require up the case legally. 

Tee-Leo Ikoro, spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, while confirming the incident, described the case as an accident, noting that the toxic industrial waste overflowed and caused havoc.