Three persons have been killed by toxic waste from a Chinese company, WeWood, in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The victims, Monday Akinmusire, Samuel Louis and Ododolewa Adebowale, died last week in a forest reserve in the town following the discharge of the deadly chemical.
SaharaReporters’ findings shows that the trio had gone into the forest to fell trees for sale 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 family member of one of the victims, Akinmusire Emmanuel, revealed that the victims went to the forest but never returned early, prompting their loved ones to initiate a search party.
He added that the team went to 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 could not locate the trio, they quickly reported to the traditional head of the community, the Olufara of Akinfosile, Oba Olamide Ayodele.
Emmanuel further explained that the traditional head had to call the attention of the Divisional Police Officer, the Vigilante Corps, and Amotekun Corps to inform them about the development.
He added that the joint security task force went into the forest and found their bodies inside a ditch covered with some black substance.
“The bodies of the victims were seen on the flowing track of the toxic waste which killed them instantly as there was no sign that they attempted to struggle with death,” he said.
The bodies of the victims were later evacuated and deposited at the morgue of a private hospital in Ore.
The deaths of the victims led to a protest among youths of the community, who stormed the company to demand answers to the incident.
Our correspondent gathered that the Ondo State 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 existing trees.
Although residents of the community disclosed that those into wood business and using the forest, were paying tax to government officials 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 take 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 waste overflowed and caused havoc.
