BY AGENCY REPORTER
The Nigerian Army has denied that seven employees died when officers opened fire at protesting staff of Dangote Sugar Company, Gyawana, Adamawa State, as reported by an online platform.
Maj Haruna Mohammed Sani, Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, in a statement made available to The Point said that the Nigerian Army responded to a distress call to support officers and men of the Nigerian Police and the Civil Defence Corps who were overpowered by rampaging youths of the area.
The youths were protesting the sack of some of the natives by the management of the Dangote Sugar Company, Maj Haruna explained.
To safeguard the lives of the law enforcement agents as well as protect the human and material resources of the company, the law enforcement agents fired warning shots in the air and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
No human life was lost. The injuries recorded were sustained by security operatives from stones thrown by the protesters, Maj Haruna further, averred in the statement.
The statement read in part, “In order to give the proper perspective on the libelous narrative, this headquarters wishes to inform the general public that on 15 July 2021 at about 2:00 pm, the Gyawana community staged a protest against the management of Dangote Sugar Company threatening to shut down the establishment and abduct foreign expatriates for sacking some staff of the company who are members of the host community.
“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, machetes 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.”
He further stated that the Nigerian Army had always been and would remain a professional and disciplined institution guided in its operations by the laws of the land, code of conduct and rules of engagement.
He said, “The Nigerian Army is a professional and disciplined institution that operates within the purview of the Constitution and in line with Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct which serve as guides to troops in all military engagements.
“Members of the general public are therefore enjoined to remain calm and disregard the mischievous report while rendering support to the Nigerian Army in her resolve to discharge its constitutional mandate of aiding the civil authority when called upon to safeguard lives and property of law abiding citizens.”
