No fewer than seven staff of Dangote Cement Company Obajana in Kogi State have been shot and several others injured as armed members of Kogi State Vigilante Service stormed the cement factory yesterday.
It was gathered that they were there to enforce the order of the state governor, Yahaya Bello.
A statement from Dangote Group’s Corporate Communications Department stated that the vigilantes group was led by the state director-general of Lands, Nasir Ochi, security adviser to the governor, Com. Jerry Omodara (rtd) and other top officials of Kogi State government.
The vigilante group members were said to be wielding arms of different kinds including local and assorted rifles as residents and passersby scamper for safety. As at the time of filing this report some seven staff members of the cement company were being attended to at the hospitals over the gunshot wounds inflicted on them.
While speaking with newsmen, the spokesman of the Oyo Mining host community, Mr David Oloruntoba described the act as primitive and disgraceful, saying the youths of the community can never be used, and will not take part in such ‘evil practices.’
He said, “They called us to join them. But I told them that the company has not offended us. We just signed a Community Development Agreement (CDA) and the company has been helping us and providing us with jobs. What has the government done for us, nothing. There is no basis to support the government.”
According to eyewitness account, at the main gate of the factory, disagreement ensued between the armed men and the policemen guarding the plant, as they shot sporadically into the air to disperse all staff and community members. By this time, the vigilantes have succeeded in locking both entrance and exit gates of the company with many workers stranded.
When contacted, the Kogi State commissioner for information, Kingsley Fanwo, denied news of invasion by government officials, saying they were only there to enforce the order of the Kogi State House of Assembly.
He said no security operative fired shots or attacked any staff of Dangote Cement Company.
“Pursuant to the constitutional authorities of the Kogi State House of Assembly, and upon petition by the people of Kogi State, an investigation was carried out on the acquisition of Obajana Cement Company by Dangote Company. It was found that no valid acquisition took place, as Dangote could not show evidence of what was paid as consideration for the acquisition”.
Fanwo added that “The legislators invited the chairman of the company, Aliko Dangote, before the House for explanations but he failed to appear before the state Assembly, giving excuses. The House of Assembly therefore ordered the closure of the company pending when they are able to present it with credible evidence of a valid acquisition.”
The commissioner added that the youths of the community were happy to hear about the development because they had not benefited anything from the company in form of corporate social responsibility.
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Kogi State police public relations officer for confirmation of the incident proved abortive.
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