One Dead, 12 Arrested As Hoodlums Hijack Oyo Casual Workers’ Protest

On person reportedly died during a protest by casual workers in a manufacturing company in Ibadan on Monday against the firm’s refusal to increase their wages.

Spokesman for the police in Oyo State SP Adewale Osifeso said the protest was hijacked by some criminal elements who destroyed vehicles and some other property of the company.

According to him, 12 people were arrested in connection with violence. The casual staff had reportedly claimed that the Federal Government last year directed Organized Private Sector to give their workers palliatives but the company failed to heed the directive, thus prompting the workers to take to the streets in anger.

Osifeso said: “Preliminary investigation reveals that the protest was premised on widespread false information authored and peddled by some of the workers concerning the disbursement of palliative to all private-owned companies and firms.

“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 and destroyed vehicles and other property.