One person has been confirmed dead and others injured when staff of Sumal Foods protested against the company’s alleged refusal to distribute palliatives that were reportedly provided by the federal government last year.
One of the protesters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, recounted the events leading up to the protest.
He said the company failed to deliver the promised palliatives, prompting the employees to take to the streets.
The situation took a tragic turn when police allegedly fired shots to disperse the protesters, resulting in at least one death and leaving another protester severely injured and hospitalised.
The protester described the scene: “We were demanding what is rightfully ours. Instead of listening to us, they brought in the police to intimidate and silence us. The situation became chaotic, and people started running when the shooting began.
“Newsmen who arrived at the scene to cover the protest were also caught in the crossfire as they were attacked by the angry crowd, while one vehicle was damaged during the fracas.
“The incident underscores the urgent need for companies and government bodies to address employee grievances transparently and promptly to prevent such violent outbursts”.
Commenting on the incident, Oyo State Police Command which confirmed the violent protests that rocked one of the factories belonging to Sumal Foods, Oluyole extension Ibadan on Monday, said preliminary investigation revealed 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.
The command’s public relations officer, Adewale Osifeso in a statement said the protesters’ grouse was that they were being denied the welfare package saying the protest was hijacked by criminal elements who forced their way into the factory destroying vehicles and property worth millions of naira.
He confirmed that one death was recorded during the violent protest while twelve suspects have been arrested in connection with the violent protest.
He explained that normalcy had since returned to the affected area with the immediate deployment of Command’s operational and tactical assets to prevent any possible future recurrence.
