Twelve suspected thugs were detained on Monday during a protest at the Sumal Foods factories in the Oluyole, Ibadan, area. This was confirmed by the Oyo Police Command.
This was stated in a statement provided by the command’s spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, which Swift Reporters was able to get on Tuesday.
The Command spokesperson said the protest was hijacked by suspected hoodlums, and twelve of them have been arrested.
According to him, the protest was sparked by false information that the company was denying them access to palliatives, which were allegedly provided to employees of all privately held businesses.
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.”
“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.
