No fewer than 26 staffers of Dangote Cement, Obajana were shot by state-backed armed youths who stormed the plant to shut it down on Wednesday, a company official has disclosed.

The youths stormed the cement company alongside some armed vigilante group to enforce the resolution of the State House of Assembly.

The Assembly had on Tuesday after plenary ordered the closure of Dangote over what it described as fraudulent acquisition of Kogi Cement by Dangote Group.

Normalcy has, however, been restored as of Friday with the gates being guarded by armed security men.

“As you can see, uneasy calm has returned to Dangote Cement Company here in Obajana.

“Our worry is the more than 26 people of the company that were shot during the unlawful invasion last Tuesday.

“We are not exaggerating because we have all the pictures of the wounded. Some of the shot victims were rushed to Specialist Hospital, Lokoja,” the official said.

A reporter who visited the hospital Friday met some of the wounded victims, who refused to speak on the matter.

“Sorry I can’t talk to you about what happened that day because we have been told not to speak to the press.

“As you can see one of my legs is bandaged because of a gunshot that hit me while I was in my office,” the victim said.

A check around the wounded showed that a man identified as Tijani was probably in a critical condition.

A source explained that the claim by the Kogi government that the cement factory initially belonged to Kogi but was shrewdly acquired by Dangote was untrue.

It said that records are available on the acquisition of the company, adding that the record would provide the much needed solution to the crisis.

Responding, Mohammed Onogu, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Yahaya Bello, said the governor was only trying to have a transparent solution to the crisis between the company and the state.

“What our governor is interested in is the wellbeing of Kogites and how to open up opportunities for investors to see how the state can develop more in the interest and benefits of the residents,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Bello on Thursday enjoined the management of Dangote to be available for a dialogue over the true position of the company.

(NAN)