The firm, known as ARAP Limited and located in Ogijo in the Sagamu Local Government Area, crushes quartz stones into fine powder used to line furnaces in steel plants. It will remain shut pending the outcome of a state investigation into the claims.

In the video, former worker Bartholomew Aniemeka said he began working at the facility around 2016 and was exposed to stone dust over several years before leaving the company in June 2025.

"So over the years, I was breathing the dust in, and it went to my lungs, and it doesn't manifest on time," Aniemeka said in the livestream, which was widely circulated on Nigerian social media.

Aniemeka said he was initially diagnosed with tuberculosis before later learning he had silicosis, a progressive and incurable lung disease caused by inhaling crystalline silica particles. His family said the misdiagnosis was due to inadequate diagnostic equipment at the facilities where he first sought treatment.

His sister, Cynthia Aniemeka, also appeared in the video, alleging that several of her brother's former colleagues had died from similar respiratory conditions. She accused the company of neglecting affected workers and said there was no support or compensation for employees who became ill.

Cynthia Aniemeka further alleged that the state government had been aware of previous deaths and health concerns at the factory but had not acted to shut it down before the video went viral.

Oresanya visited the facility on a fact-finding mission alongside officials from the Ogun State Ministry of Environment and the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency. He said the government is "fully on top of the situation" and that the company would remain sealed until investigators complete their review.

Aniemeka is currently receiving treatment at TopMed Hospital in Ogijo and is in stable condition, according to the state government. Officials said a series of medical tests have been scheduled to determine his full health status.

"The state government will do everything possible to bring the issue to a logical conclusion," the commissioner's office said in a statement posted to social media.

African Refractory and Allied Products Limited has not issued a public response to the allegations.

The closure adds to growing scrutiny over workplace safety standards in industrial clusters across Ogun State, particularly in manufacturing zones where environmental compliance has been repeatedly called into question. The state government sealed a separate facility over air pollution complaints in January and has taken enforcement action against multiple foreign-operated companies in the region in recent months.

Silicosis is an occupational lung disease commonly associated with prolonged exposure to crystalline silica dust in industries involving mining, stone crushing and refractory production. Prolonged exposure without adequate protective equipment can cause irreversible scarring of the lungs, respiratory failure and death.

Australia banned engineered stone containing high levels of crystalline silica in 2024, and California regulators are currently weighing a similar prohibition.