5 protesters injured at Savannah Sugar Company in Numan

Police in Adamawa have confirmed that five people were injured during a protest at Savannah Sugar Company in Numan, a subsidiary of Dangote Sugar.

DSP Sulaiman Nguroje, the Public Relations Officer of the command, said the incident occurred on Thursday, at about 5.00 pm at the company’s premises along Numan-Gombe road.

“The command received a report between the hours of 10am to 5pm on Thursday, that a large number of youths from neighbouring Gyawana village had invaded the Savanna sugar company.

“They armed themselves with dangerous weapons and were threatening the entire Savanna company staff, including residents of the staff quarters whom they asked to vacate the area.

“The tense situation led to the deployment of operational teams, including the military, to ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order in the company and its surroundings.

“Later in the evening, between the hours of 5pm and 6pm the youths, numbering 200, again mobilised themselves and tried to force their way into the company with the intention of attack and destruction.

“On seeing that, the security personnel decided to open fire to disperse them and as a result five people sustained bullet wounds and were rushed to the hospital for treatment,’’ Nguroje said.

No deaths were recorded and the situation had been brought under control and normalcy returned to the area, he added.

Meanwhile, he disclosed that the command had deployed teams to investigate the remote causes of the incident for further necessary action.

“The command is calling people to stop taking laws into their hands, instead they should always channel their grievances to appropriate authorities for proper action,’’ he said.

Mr Gideon Mbemun, the Executive member, Junior Staff Union of the company, told NAN that the incident followed misunderstandings between the management of the company and the Gyawana youths.

“There were some demands made by the host Gyawana youths Community to the company, among the major demands being the issue of employment.

“At the union level , we have intervened severally to solve the issues amicably and we learnt that the management had responded to the community, but they were not satisfied.

“I think, the issue can still be resolved amicably through dialogue and understanding,’’ Mbemun said.

He said the five people were injured on their legs and were receiving treatment at Lamurde hospital.

Mr Victor Purto, the Chairman, Lamurde Local Government Council, also confirmed the incident, saying that normalcy had returned to the area.

Purto confirmed that no one was killed during the incident, but some people sustained bullet wounds on their legs and that the council had set up a committee to find a lasting solution to the lingering problem.

The army which took part in quelling the riots issued a statement to debunk reports that some people were killed.

The Headquarters 23 Brigade Nigerian Army said its men were called to the company at 2: 00 pm, after reports that Gyawana protesters were threatening to shut it down and abduct foreign expatriates, for sacking some staff of the company who are members of the host community.

The statement by Major Haruna Mohammed Sani Assistant Director Army Public Relations read:

“Efforts to calm the situation by the Nigerian Police and personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence corps proved abortive as the irate youths, wielding cutlasses, machettes and other dangerous weapons, overpowered them.

“When a distress call was made to an Internal Security outfit in Adamawa state Nicknamed Operation Farauta, comprising soldiers and other Para-military Agencies, they swiftly mobilized and moved to reinforce the Police and Civil Defence deployment at the location.

“In the process, tear gas as well as warning shots were fired as some of the non-violent means of crowd dispersal and to further prevent own troops from being lynched by the mob.

“Consequently, the situation was brought under control. unfortunately, some soldiers sustained minor injuries from the stones thrown by the mob but no single protester was killed.

Dangote sugar refinery reaction:

The management of Dangote Sugar Refinery also denied death rumours arising from the protest.

Managing Director, Mr. Ravindra Singhvi said neither was there a protest by its staff nor was anyone shot dead as insinuated in an online report.

“We would like to state categorically that this report is an absolute falsehood, none of our staff protested and no life was lost. On several occasions, members of the Gyawana Youth Association have shut down the operations of the company while threatening staff on duty to stop work.

“The activities of these hoodlums have been reported to security operatives following which the Adamawa State Commissioner of Police and State Director of Security Services invited the executives of the Association and asked them to desist from interfering and threatening the DSR Numan’s staff and operations.

“To protect our staff from external violence and ensure continuity, DSR Numan also obtained a Restraining Order from the Magistrate Court in Numan against the Gwayana Youth Association; an order they disobeyed, resulting in an arrest warrant issued by court against the Executives of the same Association.

“Another threat was issued by the Youth Association on Thursday, July 15, 2021, about plans to forcefully enter and destroy the assets of the company and attack any person found within the company premises.

“With this threat to life, family and company assets, management requested the assistance of law enforcement agencies in Numan to help protect life and assets of the company. The request was granted, and some officers were drafted in to secure the gates against the protesters.

“In a bid to prevent the protesting youths from forcefully shutting down the company’s operations, the law enforcement officers mounted a barricade at the entrance of the Company during which three people sustained minor injuries and were promptly taken to the hospital for treatment and discharged accordingly.

“We repeat that no single casualty was recorded during the protest as erroneously reported in the online publication. As a responsible corporate organisation, we believe in due process and rule of law and sanctity of human lives and that was why we went to court and also reported the disturbance to the security agencies.”