3 Months After Driver’s Mysterious Death, Chevron Withholds Corpse, Denies Family Compensation
Oladimeji Babalola died under “mysterious circumstances” in a Lagos hotel on December 20, 2021, but Chevron has failed to release his body to his family for burial.
On December 15, Oladimeji Babalola and two other drivers who worked at the airport operation section of Chevron were lodged into Genesis Hotel in Ikeja.
Babalola was primarily a staff member of Xepameadow General Services, a contractor to Chevron. He worked under a contract with and was also a member of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG).
NUPENG’S POSITION
Tayo Aboyeji, chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of NUPENG, released a statement narrating the events preceding the death of Babalola.
“On Sunday, 19th December, 2021, he was last seen hale and healthy as he was in the company of his colleagues lodged in the said Genesis Hotel at 16, Oba Akinjobi Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos,” Aboyeji wrote.
“But at about 5 am on Monday, 20th December, (the next day), his colleagues tried to reach him for his assignment that day through his hotel room landline and his GSM phone, but his phones rang out several times.”
A staff of the hotel later informed Samuel Elijah, one of Babalola’s colleagues, that he had been found at the swimming pool. Elijah saw the staff of Genesis Hotel pull Babalola’s body out of the swimming pool.
Immediate attempts to revive him failed. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) was useless when they tried because Babalola was already dead. He had a bleeding ear and a prominent cut on his head.
“The Genesis staff then transferred the body to the swimming pool dressing room. The police were invited by the management of the hotel. The management of the hotel was thereafter, requested to play the CCTV camera for footage of what actually happened, but the management told them that the CCTV was not working,” NUPENG’s statement read.
‘DIED UNDER MYSTERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES’
NUPENG has asked the police to investigate the actual cause of death of their member. His colleagues insist they are dissatisfied with the reactions of both Chevron and the police.
“There was an autopsy, but we looked at it and we as a union (NUPENG) are not satisfied with the report of the autopsy,” Osaebu Anthony Usoni, chairman, Chevron branch of NUPENG said on Monday.
“He died under mysterious circumstances. The circumstances that led to his death are under suspicion so we need the police to conclude their investigation before we can call for anything. The police has not finished investigating, according to them, that is why the corpse is still in the mortuary.
“I am the branch chairman of the company that he works (for the union). We are in contact with the police. Once they conclude, they will call us.”
Usoni talked about the delay and expressed the dissatisfaction of NUPENG in the investigations which have dragged into a third month.
“We are not really satisfied with how far the police have gone because they are slow. So we have petitioned the report and reached out to the commissioner of police to look into it,” Usoni revealed.
BODY HELD HOSTAGE BY CHEVRON
Roseline Babalola, the daughter of the late Babalola, narrated how the family has been isolated and denied the opportunity to reclaim her father’s body for burial. The disagreements between NUPENG, CHEVRON and the police on the circumstances surrounding Babalola’s death have left the family isolated.
“Before they called us, they’d taken the corpse to the mortuary already without the family’s consent. We did not even get to see him,” Roseline said
Roseline said that her family has not been allowed to pay their last respect to her father since his death on December 20. Babalola’s corpse remains in the Ayinke Hospital morgue till date.
“I’ve not seen him since the day he died. They didn’t allow us see him. His brother went to the police, so they said they did an autopsy. They just told us that he died inside the swimming pool,” she said.
When asked if the family of Mr Babalola had a copy of the autopsy, Roseline said, “No, they didn’t give us anything”.
“I’m his older brother. The autopsy report was indicated in the death certificate. The death certificate is at the mortuary; they made a mistake with the death certificate. He died December 20, 2021, but they wrote December 20, 2022. I already returned it, but if I want to collect it, I will have to be at the mortuary and show them my driver’s license,” Gbenga Babalola continued.
“They said it was drowning. He dived inside the water and he hit his head on the surface. He was unable to swim. They said it was in the middle of the night, before daybreak.”
NO COMPENSATION FOR THE FAMILY OF THE DECEASED
The older brother of the deceased also voiced his disapproval of how Babalola’s death is being handled by Chevron. He suspects the company is reluctant to give the family any form of compensation and has chosen to ignore further proceedings.
“They (Chevron) have not turned up, because they don’t want to do anything. I later heard them say that he was working under contract. He has been working at this Chevron as a driver for the past 12 to 13 years. Now, they don’t want to do anything. If they are ready, we will do the burial, then they can come to pay the entitlements. But they don’t want to do this, that is why the union chairman at Chevron is now dragging the matter with them,” the older Babalola said.
Usoni said the Babalola family may not be given any compensation by Chevron.
“The issue now has not got to the level of entitlements. The type of job we are doing is we are a union and we are negotiating with the management for us to have a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). We have not got a CBA. As there is no CBA, he’s not entitled to anything,” Usoni said on Monday.
A call was placed to CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, the Lagos police public relations officer, but he asked for a text message. At press time, he had not responded to a text sent to him.
Report Credit: FIJ