A protest at Sumal Foods factory in Oluyole, Ibadan, turned violent on Monday, resulting in one death and the arrest of 12 suspected hoodlums.
According to the Oyo Police Command, the protest was fueled by misinformation about the company’s alleged withholding of palliatives meant for workers.
The police spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, stated that the protest was hijacked by criminal elements who destroyed vehicles and property worth millions of naira.
Osifeso said the protest was hijacked by suspected hoodlums, and twelve of them have been arrested.
He said the protest was fueled by misleading information about the company depriving them of palliatives rumoured to have been given to workers of every privately established firm and company.
He said, “The Oyo State Police Command wishes to set records straight concerning the disturbing violent protests that rocked one of the factories belonging to Sumal Foods, Oluyole Ibadan, on Tuesday, around 1600 hours.
“Preliminary investigation reveals that the protest was premised on widespread false information authored and peddled by some of the workers concerning the disbursement of palliatives 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.”
He added that normalcy has been restored in the state.
“However, normalcy has since returned to the affected area with the immediate deployment of the command’s operational and tactical assets to prevent any possible future reoccurrence. So far, twelve suspects have been arrested in connection with the violent protest,” Osifeso said.
The state Commissioner of Police, Ayodele Sonubi, has instructed that the case should be followed up by the Homicide Department of the State Criminal Investigation Department, which will be supervised by the Deputy Commissioner of Police directly.
