Kogi Vigilantes Inflicted Enormous Damage on Us, Dangote Cement Cries Out

* Firm plans to cause chaos, state govt alleges

Ejiofor Alike in Lagos and Ibrahim Oyewale in Lokoja

There is no end in sight to the tussle over the ownership of Obajana Cement in Kogi State as Dangote Cement Plc yesterday cried out over the destruction of the company’s assets, and the gunshot injuries inflicted on its workers by the agents of the state government.

The company in a statement listed the damage it suffered from the invasion of its cement plant by what those he described as Governor Yahaya Bello’s extra-judicial forces popularly referred to as ‘Government Vigilantes or Government Hunters.’

But the state government alleged yesterday that it had uncovered plans by the cement company to cause chaos in the state.
The state government and the company have been at loggerheads following the government’s move to seal off the Obajana Cement Plant.
According to the statement issued by Dangote Cement Plc, over 500 Kogi State Government vigilantes invaded its plant located at Obajana on Wednesday at the behest of the state governor and forcefully shut down its operations.

The company, which provided some pictures of the damaged facilities and injured workers, further alleged that cement trucks were also burnt, and many others were vandalised, as they forcefully hijacked Dangote buses and vans.
“Market and business activities have been brought to a standstill since the attack was launched.  No fewer than 27 Dangote staff are currently in bad condition after they were shot at by the invaders,” the company explained.

The statement added that control rooms were forcefully shut down while equipment whose monetary value has not been computed was vandalised.
“Communication cords were also severed to bring production to an abrupt halt. The marauding invaders also blocked the roads, distorted vehicular movement, and restricted the movement of people all around Obajana.

“Since the criminal attack, our vehicles carrying diesel have been attacked along Anyigba road,” the statement added.
The company explained that the victims of the state government-sanctioned invasion are currently admitted to the emergency section of the Kogi State Specialists Hospital in Lokoja.

According to the statement, 45-year-old Tijani Mukhtari, who was shot several times in the lower abdomen and other parts by the invading government’s thugs, is currently battling for his life and is slated for emergency surgery to remove the bullets lodged in his body.

The statement also disclosed that 43-year-old Aminu Sarki, a fleet officer at the Transport Section of the Dangote Cement Plant, was shot in the leg.
It quoted a 21-year-old Isyaku Adamu, who was also shot, as describing the invasion as barbaric and nasty.
 However, in a statement obtained by THISDAY last night, the state Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, accused the company of resolving to fight the state government by altering the agreement papers.

Fanwo said the company was also planning to deploy the media against the state government and initiate legal proceedings against certain government officials.
“A top management staff of Dangote Group erroneously called a top government official as the meeting was going on to hatch their satanic plans against the government and people of Kogi State,” the statement alleged.

“The call which came in at 10:06 pm went on for 28 minutes, 12 seconds, detailing how they intend to doctor documents to prove they own the cement company 100 per cent; how they intend to use the DSS and other security agencies to arrest top government officials on frivolous charges; how they intend to use the EFCC to arrest some government officials to cow them down; how they also intend to use the media to promote falsehood against the government and people of Kogi State and sundry other satanic plans against the people and government of our dear state”.

The state government threatened to release visuals and audio of the said meeting to support its claim.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Folashade Ayoade, had earlier announced the commencement of the process to recover the Obajana Cement Plant from the Dangote Group.