Sunday 6 July 2014

CDWR Condemns Killing of Innocent Citizens

 at Dangote's Gboko Cement Factory

Press Statement


The Campaign for Democratic and Workers' Rights (CDWR) condemns in strongest terms the killing of seven innocent citizens by soldiers of the Nigerian Army at the Gboko Cement Factory owned by Aliko Dangote.

According to media reports, the soldiers attached to the factory were alleged to have shot one Mr. Jibro, who was reportedly relieving himself close to the factory. To add insult to injury, when members of the Mbayion community in Gboko protested to the factory to demand justice, they were replied with gunfire. In the most horrific manner, media reports also claimed that a woman who was shot in the leg and attempting to crawl to safety was blasted in the skull by these savage soldiers. In all, the community claimed that seven people including one woman and six men died as a result of this incident.

This horrible attack is the height of attacks by the Nigerian military on democratic rights under the current Jonathan regime. We call for immediate arrest and prosecution of the soldiers involved, and adequate compensation for the victims of the attacks.

In the most heart-rending manner, the management of Dangote Group and the military hierarchy have been shielding these culprits from justice. Equally, the Federal Government has not come to the aid of the community or take any action against the killer soldiers. This is a grand show of the collusion between the state and the corporate elite to ride roughshod over the rights of the ordinary people. We call for mass actions and protests by the community until their demands are met.

We also call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to condemn this barbarism and take decisive actions in solidarity with these hapless victims of the military and Dangote Group. It needs to be recalled that an injury to one is an injury to all.
ChineduBosah
Publicity Secretary

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