Seven persons were said to have been killed and seven others
injured by the guards during a crisis which broke out in Tse-Kucha community in
Yandev area of the local government on March 18.
A statement by the Chief Press Officer of the NHRC, Fatimah
Mohammed, on Sunday, said Dangote Cement was expected to pay N5m to each of the
families of the seven deceased persons and N2m to the seven injured persons.
According to Mohammed, the company agreed to pay the money
after the NHRC investigated the petition of the victims and families of the
deceased person.
The statement read in part, “Victims and family members
affected by the March 18, 2014 crisis at Tse-kucha in Yandev, Gboko Local
Government Council of Benue State, have expressed appreciation to the National
Human Rights Commission for its intervention in their petition on the case of
alleged extra-judicial killing pending before the commission and requested it
to close the matter.
“The commission had, pursuant to the receipt of the complaint,
undertaken preliminary investigations and conducted hearings after which
parties explored mediation and reached an agreement brokered by the Governor of
Benue State, Dr. Gabriel Susuam, between representatives of the victims and
Dangote Cement Plc.
“This amicable settlement resulted to the acceptance by the
management of Dangote Cement Plc to pay a monetary compensation of five million
naira (N5,000,000.00) each to the families of the seven deceased persons and
two million naira (N2,000,000.00) each to the seven injured persons.”
The statement also quoted the Executive Secretary of the
commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, as promising “that the commission will continue to
hold any institution accountable for human rights violations committed by
them.”
It added, “The affected group had earlier petitioned the
commission on the alleged killing of seven youths and wounding of several
others by soldiers on guard at the Dangote cement factory.”
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