A worker of Kentucky Fried Chicken in Gbagada area of Lagos State, Maduabuchi Uzoh, 27, has died in mysterious circumstances on the premises of the firm.
The death of the deceased, a final year Higher National Diploma student of the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, was not reported to the police by his employers, raising suspicion that there was more to the death.
Apart from this, while the firm reported to Uzoh’s family that he was involved in an accident while at work and rushed to the hospital for treatment, the report of the hospital, R. Jolad, at New Garage, Gbagada, has it that he was brought in dead.
Uzoh, who resided at 6, Oluwaseyi Street in Ilaje, Ebute Meta West, died on February 13, 2018.
His father, Okoro Uzor, had received a call from his office that he had an accident and was rushed to the hospital.
According to the senior Uzor: “On February 13 this year, I received a call from my son’s place of work that he had an accident and has been rushed to R. Jolad Hospital at New Garrage, Gbagada.
“On reaching there, I was informed that my son was brought in dead form his place of work by his colleague, while the secondary cause of death is electrocution as recorded in the medical report of cause of death by Dr. Agarry L. M., a medical doctor at the R. Jolad hospital.
“All my efforts to get details of the accident proved abortive as the company was not ready to disclose any information on the primary cause of death of my son.
“Even the bag containing his work and school identity card and his work instruments which he used on that fateful day was not given to the family until the family threatened to take up the case with them.
“Since then, they have been returning his belongings in batches to the family, while some of his belongings are still in their custody.”
The counsel to the Uzor family and founder of the International Centre For Human Rights, Non-Violence and Safety Awareness, Ene Sarah Unobe, said: “When our organization received this report on March 16, 2018, we contacted the Human Resources Department of KFC.
“We were informed that it is only the deceased and God that could tell what actually happened to him on that day.
“Meanwhile, there are different versions of the stories.
“Some say Uzoh was working on a newly acquired Ice Cream machine that he was not trained to handle before he fell down and died, while others said it was a naked electric wire in the workplace that electrocuted him.
“The whole thing is a mystery to us.
“We refuse to accept the stories about the cause of his death as we do not know who to believe.
“The stories are unacceptable to common sense and good conscience.
“We believe the cause of death was an occupational hazard that occurred within the company due to unsafe work environment.”
The Restaurant manager of KFC in Gbagada, Joy Ejim, said: “I am new to this branch.
“I don’t have the full details.”
The Human Resources Manager of KFC, Ayo Olanrewaju, insisted that the death was not mysterious.
According to Olanrewaju: “What makes the death mysterious?
“Is there no death certificate?”
When he was asked why the company failed to report the matter to the police, he simply said: “No further comment.” TheEagleOnline