One man has been feared killed after police officers responded to a protest with live rounds in Lagos, witnesses said on Tuesday.

Workers of Chemie-Tech, a contractor to Dangote Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, were protesting their welfare when police officers were called in, a witness said. There were also media posts of those who said they witnessed the incidents Tuesday morning.

A resident of Ibeju-Lekki told Peoples Gazette that the protests started on Monday, but no casualty was recorded. It was on Tuesday morning that violence broke out, leading to the fatal police shooting of a yet-unidentified man. Many others were hospitalised, a witness said.

A spokesman for Dangote Group said the workers were engaged by a contractor, but the group has been working to ensure adequate compensation of the workers and resolve the dispute.

Our attention has been drawn to an issue on social media alleging staff protest at the Refinery over salary increment dispute.
 
The protesters “are direct employees of Onshore, Offshore (Oil) and Chemie-Tech subcontractors, who are currently dealing with an industrial dispute with their employees,” Tony Chiejina said in a statement to the Gazette. “The situation is under control as we are mediating with the parties involved.”

Lagos police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi told the Gazette any matter relating to police attacks should be forwarded to the ongoing judicial panel against police brutality.

Dangote Group, Nigeria’s largest conglomerate, has faced years of allegations bordering on maltreatment of workers.

The company has frequently denied advancing a culture of poor personnel management and welfare, but protesters said their main demand about the group’s sub-contractor was to address several months of unpaid wages.