Police did not kill anyone at Dangote Refinery – Spokesman

The Lagos State Police Command has refuted reports that a construction worker at the Dangote Refinery, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, was killed by a policeman, saying the story was created by mischief makers in a bid to cause confusion.

Staff of sub-contractors working at the Dangote Refinery, on Tuesday, blocked the entrance to the site over poor welfare and non-payment of their benefits by the company.

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Dangote Refinery has since dissociated itself from the protest, maintaining that it was embarked on by staff of sub-contractors and not its workers.

The protests heightened tension at the Ibeju-Lekki and its suburbs.

In a statement, Lagos State police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, said nobody was shot dead by the police, insisting that the protest was peaceful and that the protesters were addressed and they dispersed.

The statement reads in part: “The attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to a false and mischievous report in the news that the police in Lagos State shot and killed a worker of one of the companies working for Dangote Refinery in Lagos on November 3, 2020.”

He said the command urged members of the public to regard the news as baseless, unfounded and a calculated attempt to heat up the state in order to cause another set of chaos.

The statement further reads: “There was no shooting of whatever kind at the refinery during the protest. It’s surprising to read  the mendacious news that one Mr. Sunday Aondowwase (37), employee of Cinoma Contractors working on the site, was shot and killed by the police during the protest. The man that was claimed to have been killed by the police, as contained in the fake news, is alive. He came up to the Dangote Refinery on November 4, 2020, to refute the death rumour. He was received by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Akodo Station, CSP Orire Thomas, and senior staff of the refinery.”

“The command, therefore, wishes to appeal to the general public to disregard the news and always endeavour to confirm any peddled news, particularly on the social media, as such fake breaking news, without adequate confirmation, could be dangerous and counter-productive. The general public is also urged to be wary of the antics of certain social media influencers who are bent on regularly creating violence in the state and across the country in general.”