1 died, 12 arrested in Ibadan palliatives protest — Police

The Police Command in Oyo State on Tuesday said one person died and 12 suspects were arrested during a violent protest by workers of Sumal Food Company in Ibadan.

The command’s Public Relations Officer (PRO), SP Adewale Osifeso, made the statement issued on Tuesday in Ibadan.

He said the protest broke out around 4 p.m. on Monday in the factory located at Oluyole Industrial Estate in Ibadan.

“The workers staged the protest to challenge what they called non-distribution of the palliatives allegedly given by Federal Government to all private companies across the country,” the command’s PRO said.

He said it was sad that the protest was hijacked by criminal elements who forced their way into the factory, thus destroying vehicles and other property worth millions of Naira.

“One person died and 12 suspects were arrested in connection with the violent protest,” Osifeso said.

The spokesman, however, said that normalcy had returned to the area where the company is located, following the deployment of police operatives to maintain peace.

He also said the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ayodele Sonubi, had ordered the transfer of the matter to the homicide unit of Criminal Investigations Department for further investigation.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the protest was premised on false information created and peddled by some workers over disbursement of palliatives to privately-owned companies,” Osifeso said.

He added that the command would give further information on the matter as soon as investigation was concluded.