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.
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