Mrs. Susan Ogbu has filed a $250,000 lawsuit against Promasidor Nigeria Ltd., its parent company Promasidor Holdings, and several others following the death of her 26-year-old son, Patrick Ogbu, at a Promasidor factory.
The case, filed at the National Industrial Court in Lagos (Suit No. NICN/LA/361/2024), alleges gross negligence and unsafe work conditions. The defendants include Mr. Dapo Omolade (of the Dapo Omolade Empowerment Initiatives), Hybrid Group Limited, Hybrid HSE Limited, Bohlar Integrated Services, and the Minister of Labour and Employment.
Represented by her counsel, David Kupolati, Mrs. Ogbu is demanding ₦300 million in compensation and ₦150 million in general damages for wrongful death. She is also seeking 21% annual interest on the judgment sum until it is paid in full, plus ₦5 million in legal costs.
According to court filings, Patrick Ogbu joined the HSE trainee program run by Omolade and Hybrid Group on April 1, 2024, under an offer dated March 4, 2024. The program promised health and safety training and a ₦65,000 monthly stipend.
On August 9, 2024, Patrick was assigned to Promasidor Nigeria’s factory through an arrangement involving Bohlar Integrated Services. Tragically, just hours into his first day at the site, Patrick fell from a rooftop into the warehouse and died.
“The premature death of the claimant’s son resulted from gross negligence and unsafe practices by Dapo Omolade, Hybrid Group, Hybrid HSE, Bohlar Integrated Services, and Promasidor Nigeria,” the lawsuit states.
Mrs. Ogbu also seeks a court order compelling the Minister of Labour and Employment to investigate the DOME initiative, under which the training program was run, and to sanction all responsible parties. She further requests a comprehensive health and safety audit of Promasidor’s facilities, along with an inquiry into its labour practices across Lagos and Ogun states.
In their defence, the first to fourth defendants, through counsel Azeez Alaka, denied all allegations. They maintained that Dapo Omolade is an independent operator, not affiliated with Hybrid Group, and described the DOME initiative as a genuine training effort aimed at equipping Nigerian youth with practical safety skills.
The defence argued that Patrick Ogbu violated safety procedures by allowing workers onto a rooftop without the required Permit to Work, and by following them despite lacking proper training for work at heights. They claimed he was meant to enforce a “No Permit, No Work” policy and his failure to do so led to the fatal incident.
The defendants also rejected the assertion that the program was exploitative, stating that it provided stipends and meaningful experience, not cheap labour.
Mrs. Ogbu, however, insists the initiative was a cover for sourcing low-cost labour for project sites across Nigeria.
