LAFIA – By Alhaji Mohammed The National President of the Nigerian Labour congress (NLC) Comrade Ayuba Wabba has called on the Nigerian Police authorities to do everything necessary to fish out the officers responsible for the shooting of four of his members in Nasarawa state, saying failure to do so would lead the organized labour to embark on a nationwide rally in protest over the police brutality.
He made the called while briefing newsmen at the Police Clinic on Friday in Lafia where the three workers had been taken to for treatment.
Wabba said that out of the 4 workers that were shot, one was killed, another was unconscious, one is receiving treatment at the hospital while the third had received treatment from a gunshot wound.
The victims were Ali Umbugadu (Dead), a staff of Ministry of Education, Musa Salihu, a staff of finance department, Doma Local Government council survived with gunshot wounds, Sa’adatu Mohammed, a judicial worker also critically ill while Rabiu Mohammed, a journalist writing for Nigerian Newsday, a state owned media outfit is unconscious.
The incident occurred at the government house gate where the police men stationed, while the leadership of the Organized Labour was busy negotiating with Governor Umaru Al-Makura over the 50 percent salary cut of workers in the state.
“We do not know what prompted them to shoot at unarmed workers who were waiting for us to finish discussion with the state Governor over the issue of their emoluments.
“As you can see one is dead, three critically injured, they were very peaceful but unfortunately the police under whatever presence opened fire. It is most unfortunate,” He said.
prompt news gathered that the drama started when the General Manager of the state own media outfit Nasarawa Broadcasting Service Lafia ( (NBS) Alhaji Yusuf Musa who wanted to force his ways into the Government house gated and was identified by the mob and throwing stones on him and smashed his car , at the process he knocked down one of the police officer who tried to give him cover by the angry mob which attracted a reaction by the police men and started shutting which eventually shot 4 persons.
The NLC President therefore called on workers in the state to remain calm and law abiding as the national leadership would do everything possible to safeguard their rights and inform them on the next line of action.
Reacting on the matter, the newly posted Commissioner of Police to the state Sadiq Bello said he was not at the point where the incident happened because he was in the government house where the negotiation was taken place.
“But I was briefed by my subordinates that the incident started between workers and one Mallam Yusuf Musa, the General Manager of Nasarawa Broadcasting Service (NBS), a state owned media outfit.
“Because i was not there and yet to be briefed, so i don’t know the person who actually opened fire, but we will do all it takes to investigate what actually happened,” he said.
