The management of Dangote Cement Plc has paid N49 million compensation to victims of extra-judicial killings in Gboko, Benue State, in which the company was involved.
This was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday by Fatimah Agwai, the spokesperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The statement said the compensation followed the intervention of the commission and the Benue State Government.
Agwai said in the statement: “This amicable settlement resulted to the acceptance by the management of Dangote Cement Plc to pay a monetary compensation of N5 million each to the families of the seven deceased persons.
“It also accepted to pay N2 million each to the seven injured persons.”
The Tse-chuka and Yandev communities petitioned the commission against the Dangote Group over alleged killings of their members.
They alleged that the soldiers providing security at the factory located in Gboko, Benue State killed seven members of their communities and wounded several others.
This resulted from protest by the youths of the community against the shooting of Terhile Jibor by the military personnel, following a misunderstanding over excreta.
The statement said the injured victims and the families of the deceased have expressed appreciation to the commission for its intervention.
It quoted the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Prof. Bem Angwe, as pledging that it would hold any institution accountable for its human rights violations.
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