Nigeria Police Shoot At Julius Berger Construction Workers In Rivers, One Killed

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According to a report by The PUNCH, a policeman has reportedly shot dead one of the workers of a construction company, Julius Berger protesting against alleged mistreatment of staff members. 

The worker has been identified as Samuel Ajayi. 

Four others got injured in the process. 

According to the Punch, the killer-cop was attached to the Bori Police Division of the state police command.

The protesters, who expressed their grievances to the Chairman of the Gokana Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, said the late Ajayi was among the persons shot when they went to the council secretariat to protest peacefully on Monday. 

One of the workers, Moses Oniron, said, “After they (policemen) stopped us from gaining access to the company’s premises yesterday (Monday), we thought it necessary to go to the council secretariat to lodge our complaint.

“In the process of going to the council, the policemen followed us. On getting to the secretariat, the chairman was not in the office, but we were received by his secretary, who addressed us and we left.

“At the point of going out of the council premises, we were attacked by these policemen and the Chief Security Officer of Julius Berger.

“The Divisional Police Officer of Bori Police Station shot at us and injured about five persons.

“We are calling on the Federal Government, the Rivers State Government, the chairman of Gokana LGA, and other stakeholders to come to our aid.”

A cousin of the deceased person, Dominic Adeyemi, said his family was in deep pain.

Adeyemi said the late Ajayi had five children, adding that he was the breadwinner of the family with many people to fend for.

“Yesterday, I did not see any of them (Julius Berger and police). On top of it, I was manhandled. They tried to dispossess me of the documents I used to deposit his corpse in a mortuary,” he added.

The Chairman of Gokana Local Government Area, Confidence Deekor, called on the state police command to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.

He promised to meet the management of Julius Berger and the workers in order to resolve the crisis.

The Bori Divisional Police Officer, Bako Angbashim, denied shooting at the protesters.

“Maybe shooting from somewhere hit someone because there are cult activities in that area.

“So if bullets from cultists hit someone, then because I am popular in the whole of Ogoni land for bringing peace there, some people want to use this opportunity to spoil my good name? This is what you press people should also try to investigate,” the DPO added.