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B N W: Biafra Nigeria World News |
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Nigeria Airways' worker beaten, in coma
THE stand-off between a detachment of policemen and former workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways continued yesterday, with a man, Mr Rotimi Adetipe, beaten into a pulp in Lagos and one woman, Mrs Elizabeth Ajayi, detained for several hours.
Adetipe and Ajayi are both workers of Nigeria Airways.
The incident occurred two days after three workers of the Airways were allegedly assaulted by mobile policemen stationed at the airline's premises.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMIA), Mr. Kabiru Gwarzo (ASP), while addressing journalists and the workers, said Ajayi would be quizzed and charged to court for taking part in a protest.
Adetipe was beaten with the butt of a gun by a mobile police officer until he slumped, foaming in the mouth. He was later taken to the General Hospital, Ikeja for medical attention.
Teargas canisters were fired by the police as the workers sang solidarity songs.
In a replay of the Wednesday incident, passersby scampered for safety and ran towards the premises of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for cover.
But for the quick intervention of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, MMIA Police command, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo, the situation would have degenerated further.
Akpoyibo chided the policemen for their overzealousness and asked them to be civil in their operations. He also appealed to the workers to maintain orderliness in the course of their protests, stressing that they should seek redress if they felt aggrieved.
The deputy police commissioner assured the workers that he would visit their injured colleague in the hospital.
Counsel to the workers, Mr. Soji Adebola, urged the airline's staff to remain calm and allow the rule of law to prevail.
He disclosed that he had filed an appeal to challenge the forceful take-over of the company's premises since Sunday.
Adebola described the action of the government in evicting his clients from their premises as violating the due process of the law, stating that the workers would continue to peacefully protest government actions while all necessary legal suits had been instituted.
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