Lagos: Police go trigger-happy, allegedly kill 2 protesters at Chi Limited
A protest over the distribution of Christmas gifts has reportedly left two casual workers of Chi Limited dead.
The workers, reports say, were shot by a team of policemen trying to disperse protesters at the company’s headquarters in Ajao Estate, Lagos State on Tuesday.
Casual workers at Chi Limited were said to have begun the protest against the company’s management, citing discrimination and preferential treatment.
Their grievances with the company reportedly came to a head when it shared yuletide packages to full time workers, ignoring the “harder working” casuals.
With the development, the casual workers decided to take matters into their hands, attempting to make away with a carton of the company’s products each. Products like Chivita juice, Happy Hour, Ice tea and Caprizone, were some of the “forcefully taken” gifts.
The decision to make away with the company’s products spiraled into a protest and police intervened. That was when the men in uniform allegedly went trigger happy.
One Daniel Osikoya and another unidentified employee were said to have died from injuries they sustained in the leg and thigh respectively.
“It is pure injustice to give only the full-time workers gifts without giving any to casual workers, who do most of the jobs. That was why we fought for our rights. It is unfair for the policemen to attack us. We were about to move the cartons out of the company’s gate when the policemen invited by one of the company’s security men started shooting,” a source who escaped being shot is quoted as saying.
“Bullets hit Daniel in the thigh and another worker was shot in the leg. I was with the two workers that were shot; it was God that saved me. They shot at us as if we were thieves.
“They were not taken to a hospital on time and Daniel died around 8am that day. He bled to death. The other victim died this afternoon (Tuesday). Because of that incident, we were not allowed to work.”
Police say the protesters had provoked the shooting by hurling caustic soda and other things, thereby injuring an Inspector. It says the operatives only acted in accordance with rules.
Father of the deceased, Olufemi Osikoya, told Punch the company did not contact the family about their son’s death on time.
“My son was a decent person. If not for some issues the family is sorting out, he was supposed to have been in a higher institution. He was shot in two places. Instead of them to rush him to a public hospital, he was taken to the company’s clinic. We were called around 7am. When I got there, he was groaning in pain and had lost much blood. He gave up immediately we got to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. He joined the company in December. I learnt that his colleague that was shot is also dead,” he said.
Lagos State Police PRO, Dolapo Badmos denied that two persons were killed as reported. Only one life was lost, she said.
