A casual worker at SUMAL, a manufacturing company in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, has been confirmed dead.
The worker, whose identity has not been disclosed, died during a protest by the company’s staff over the lack of salary increases. The incident occurred on Monday.
It was learned that the casual workers protested because the company refused to provide palliatives or increase their wages.
The workers claimed that despite a directive from the Federal Government last year for the private sector to provide palliatives, the company did not comply.
This led the employees to take to the streets in frustration.
The company’s management called in security agents to stop the protest, which led to clashes with the workers. During the confrontation, a worker was reportedly shot and later died, while several others were injured.
Adewale Osifeso, Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, confirmed the incident on Tuesday.
He said some suspects have been arrested, and the Commissioner of Police has assigned the Homicide Department of the Criminal Investigation Department to investigate the case, with the Deputy Commissioner of Police overseeing the investigation.
Osifeso, in a statement, said, “Preliminary investigation reveals that the protest was premised on a widespread false information authored and peddled by some of the workers concerning the disbursement of Palliative to all Private owned companies and firms in the Country.
“Their grouse however was that they were being denied the welfare package. Sadly, the protest was hijacked by Criminal elements who forced their way into the factory destroying vehicles and property worth millions of naira.
“One death was recorded during the violent protest. However, Normalcy has since returned to the affected area with the immediate deployment of Command’s operational and tactical assets to prevent any possible future reoccurrence.
“So far, (12) Twelve Suspects have been arrested in connection with the violent protest. Furthermore, the CP has ordered that the entire case be taken up by the Homicide Department of the Criminal Investigation Department with the Deputy Commissioner of Police directly in charge of investigations.”
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