The police in Oyo State said one person died, while 12 suspects were arrested on Monday during a protest at the Oluyole Industrial Estate in Ibadan.
The police spokesperson in the state, Adewale Osifeso said that the protest that rocked one of the factories belonging to Sumal Foods claimed one life.
The police said the protest was hijacked by criminals who forced their way into the factory and vandalised vehicles and property worth millions of naira.
Reports have it that trouble began when some casual workers of the company staged a protest over the non-increment of their salaries, and the company’s refusal to provide them with palliatives.
The casual staff members claimed that the Federal Government had last year directed the Organised Private Sector to give their workers palliatives but the company failed to heed the directive. This led to protest by the workers who took to the streets around the work area.
The management of the company invited security agents to stop the protest but they were resisted by the angry workers and this led to a confrontation that led to the loss of an individual.
The police spokesman said, ”Preliminary investigation reveals that the protest was premised on a widespread false information authored and peddled by some of the workers concerning the disbursement of palliative to all private-owned companies and firms in the country.
“Their grouse however was that they were being denied the welfare package.”
He noted that normalcy has since returned to the affected area with the immediate deployment of the Command’s operational and tactical assets to prevent any possible future re occurrence.