Two persons have been reportedly shot dead, while another one was injured as a result of alleged gunshots by some officers of the Nigerian police force, Oyo state command, during a protest in Ibadan.
It was gathered that the protesters, who were staffers of a private company around Oluyole Estate, were said to be agitating for the payment of the palliatives allocated by the Federal government for private employers for their workers.
According to report, the problem started when officers of the Nigerian police force were invited by the company’s management to prevent breakdown of law and order.
Some of the protesters who spoke with radio Nigeria explained that the officers started shooting sporadically to disperse the crowd, an act which alledgedly claimed the lives of two workers of the company and one other person injured.
A brother to one of the deceased who did not want his name mentioned confirmed that his brother was allegedly shot by the police and the security Personnel prevented him from seeing his corpse.
Radio Nigeria’s attempt to speak with a representative of the company was futile as the crew was directed to another branch at their 7UP road office where one of the management staff in the production unit said they were not aware of the incident despite seeing protesters in front of the company
The incident also took another turn when some of the protesters alledgedly set one of the company’s buildings on fire
Road users were also prevented from plying the axis while some motorists who forced their ways into the crowd had themselves to be blamed as their vehicles’ screens were damaged.
As at the time of filing this report, the officers of the Nigerian police force were guarding the entrance of the headquarters of the company located at town planning , Ring Road Ibadan, while the protesters in large numbers were there requesting for the corpse of their deceased colleagues .
Meanwhile Radio Nigeria’s efforts to speak with the public relations officer of the Oyo State police command, Adewale Osifeso was unsuccessful as at the time of this report.
Reacting to the incidents, the Oyo State chairman of Trade Union Congress, Mr Bosun Olabiyi, said he was not aware of the protest.
Radio Nigeria
