Dangote Sugar denies death of seven workers in Adamawa plant

The Dangote Sugar Refinery Plc has denied that seven of its workers died during a protest that unsettled its plant in Numan, a town in Adamawa State.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the company refuted the claim via its Managing Director, Mr Ravindra Singhvi, saying there was neither protest by its staff members nor any case of death recorded in the community.

Some youths of Gyawana, the host community of Dangote Sugar Refinery, had protested against the company for allegedly sacking some workers from the community, among other complaints.

However, the company said the attention of its management “has been drawn to an online report by Sahara Reporters about the deaths of some protesting staff members at our Sugar Refinery, in Numan, Adamawa State.

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

The firm said the activities of these hoodlums had been reported to security operatives following which the Commissioner of Police and Director of Security Services, Adamawa State, invited the executives of the association and asked them to desist from interfering and threatening the DSR staff and operations.

It explained that the youths disobeyed the order, which according to the firm, resulted in its resolve to obtain from the court against the executives of the youth association.

“With this threat to life, family and company assets, the 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 the sanctity of human lives and that was why we went to court and also reported the disturbance to the security agencies.