IT was sorrow, tears and blood at the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, yesterday as the on-going minimum wage crisis recorded its first major victim: The death of one Adigun Popoola whose wife, according to sources, delivered a baby only last Friday.

Also, controversy has continued to trail the reported arrest of the chairman of the Council of Industrial Unions (COIU), Ayodele Akele, spear-heading the workers' struggle.

While the state government yesterday refuted the report claiming it was a ploy to win undue sympathy for the workers' cause, the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) restated the claim and called for his release.

No fewer than five people were arrested by men of the Task Force, Rapid Response Squad (RRS) who dispersed the protesting civil servants. Police authorities last night accused the workers of planning to torch the secretariat, hence the decision to forcibly disperse them. The command, however, denied using live bullets, a claim also refuted by the NLC.

The late Popoola was a driver in the state's Works ministry, while his wife is believed to be with the Board of Internal Revenue in the state's Finance ministry.

The state NLC Chairperson, Alhaja Aminat Olorunmibe and COIU secretary, Henry Akinwunmiju in a statement said live bullets were used, one of which hit the deceased, while Alhaja Olorunmibe was allegedly shot in the leg.

Workers, protest in the secretariat premises since the strike began had been a daily affair. But on learning of the purported arrest of Akele, passions were inflamed leading to another round of demonstration calling for his release.

As the workers reached the secretariat way by the Alausa car park, they were confronted by men of the RRS who had been mobilised to disperse them.

The police men fired tear gas into their midst.

The ensuing stampede resulted in injuries on scores of the workers, including Alhaja Olorunmibe. Five of the workers were arrested even as some of them stayed behind to revive their colleagues who had slumped. In fact the late Popoola is said to have been one of those who slumped.

A commercial bus flagged down to convey the man to a hospital was however reportedly given a hot chase by the police in two open Mazda vans with number LA 20 AOI(HQ) and BD 338 LSD (Code 201).

According to an eye-witness, the police fired live bullets at the bus, and subsequently, the tyres were punctured, forcing the workers to abandon it for another, with which they eventually escaped.

Popoola was confirmed dead at a private hospital on Allen Avenue, Ikeja, and the body was conveyed back to the secretariat of the State Civil Service Union also in Ikeja, where his colleagues had gathered.

The arrival of the body drew wailings from the workers present.

The late Popoola hailed from Ayetoro, Yewa, in Ogun State. The workers threatened yesterday to take his body to the house of the governor's mother, Alhaja Abibat Mogaji or the residence of Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Although, Alhaja Olorunmibe claimed that the police fired live bullets, which killed Popoola, the state and the police said it was untrue.

Information and Strategy Commissioner, Dele Alake, said the police confirmed that only tear gas was used to disperse the crowd. Addressing a press conference, he said: "The government was aware of some demonstrations and aware also that the police were on hand to restore normalcy. And when we heard the rumour (of the death) as well, we made frantic effort to confirm the veracity of this story and I have the Commissioner for Establishment with me who actually spoke with the leader of the police (Tunde Sobulo, Commander, RRS who confirmed that they (police) never fired a single shot.

"No live bullets were used and that they (police) used tear gas to disperse the crowd. And they (police) swore that they should bring and display the body to ascertain any bullet hole.

"I mean it is impossible for you to shoot and kill without the bullet penetrating the body.

"Now, an assumption could have been that the man suffered from asthma, could have been an asthmatic patient, who perhaps inhaled tear gas and, in the stampede, fell down or collapsed and probably died."

Alake then asked the workers to release the body for an autopsy to confirm the actual cause of his death.

The five people arrested, according to Sobulo, had jerry cans of fuel with them and were now at the Area F Headquarters.

Alake said that if Popoola actually died, his blood should be on Akele's hands for calling workers out on an illegal strike, urging the bereaved family to hold him responsible.

On the reported arrest of Akele, Alake said the state government had contacted the Police Commissioner and director of the State Security Services (SSS) both of whom denied any such arrest.

According to Alake, the Labour leader may have gone underground in his attempt to drum up support for the struggle.

"Only last night somebody was saying that the crisis was not even being felt...hence the rumoured arrest and a grand design to escalate the crisis.

"It seems that from all accounts, the strike was losing steam terribly, so they (union) had to find a means of galvanising up public emotions. That was why Akele had to go into hiding.

"I can bet ... that Akele is somewhere eating pounded yam and egusi soup, enjoying himself at the expense of the entire public and this is also some of those cheap tricks that were used in the past to whip up public sentiment against government.

"In fact, information available to government indicates that some of his relations confirmed that he went into hiding yesterday evening. And in any case, if he had been arrested then, the SSS and the police would have been involved," he said.

Alake further alleged that the present crisis had gone beyond that of agitation for wage increase, arguing that fifth columnists who were bent on destabilising the nascent democracy were now using Labour leaders to actualise their aim.

Akele, according to the commissioner, who claimed to have worked assiduously for the enthronement of democracy in the country "has become an agent of destabilisation in the hands of fifth columnists, bent on derailing our hard-won democracy." He added: "Right from day one of the Labour crisis, the workers have shown consistent hooliganism by sending out workers who were willing to work from their offices."

He said that the "hallowness and hollowness" of Akele's tricks came to the fore "when one realises that during similar Labour crisis during the last military rule, he was not arrested," adding that "what did not happen during military rule cannot happen during the present democratic dispensation."

The press conference was attended by Works Commissioner, Rauf Aregbesola, his counterparts in Agriculture and Co-operatives, Kaoli Olusanya, Home Affairs, Musiliu Obanikoro, Rural Development, Saka Shenayon. Also there were Special Adviser on Education, Idowu Sobowale, Establishment and Job Creation Commissioner, Kemi Nelson and Head of Service, Rafiu Tinubu.

The statement by Olorunmibe and Akinwumiju on the other hand reads: "The Council of Industrial Unions (COIU) wishes to inform the Nigerian public and the world at large that Governor Tinubu-led AD government in Lagos State killed, in cold blood, one of our members in person of Mr. Adigun Popoola of Ministry of Works this morning at 11.15 a.m.

"Since the strike started on June 22, 2000, our members have been holding daily peaceful rallies and processions around the Lagos State secretariat. This morning, as we embarked on the normal peaceful procession around the gates of the state secretariat, Alausa, policemen without cause or provocation started shooting tear gas and live bullets on the workers. In the process, Mr. Adigun Popoola was hit. But he did not die immediately. When he fell down, one of the police officers hit him in a callous and brutal manner. The police shot at the tyres of the vehicle conveying him to the hospital and in the ensuing confusion and delay Mr. Popoola gave up the ghost and was actually confirmed dead by doctors at Duro Soleye Hospital at Allen Avenue, Ikeja.

"The police came in a convoy of four vehicles, two of which bear Nos. LA 20 AOI (HQ) and BD 338 LSD (210). Aside from Mr. Popoola, Alhaja A.I. Olorunmibe, the chairperson of NLC Lagos State was also shot in the leg. In addition, four of the striking workers, Mrs. Lousy Effiong, Mr. Ijegbayi, Mr. Akintonmide and one other woman whose names cannot be confirmed at the time of writing this statement have been arrested. Meanwhile, Comrade Ayodele Akele, Chairman of the Council of Industrial Unions in Lagos State has been arrested since yesterday by the members of the State Security Service (SSS) in connection with the industrial strike for the actualisation of the N7,500 minimum wage across the board for all the public servants in the state, and his whereabouts, is still unknown.

"The COIU wishes to re-affirm its unwavering commitment to continuing with its industrial strike until our demand of N7,500 minimum wage across the board is actualised. In addition, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Akele and all other workers detained in connection with the on-going industrial action by Lagos State workers.

"We demand the immediate prosecution of the killers of Mr. Popoola and a public apology and adequate financial compensation for the family of Mr. Popoola from the Lagos State government and police. In these dark hours, we hereby appeal to all men and women of good conscience to prevail on the Lagos State government to desist from its barbaric and fascistic acts which brings back the better forgotten memories of the years of military dictatorship. In this respect, we demand the immediate withdrawal of all policemen from the secretariat, Alausa and other work places. We are workers, not vandals. We have been on strike for the past two weeks and yet not a single louvre of glass or property of the state has been vandalised. It is the thugs brought by the state government and the police who have been disturbing public peace. We are also calling for the immediate resignation of Governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu because of the intransigent manner in which he has been handling the affairs of the state since the beginning of the strike action.

"Finally, we wish to use this medium to once again appeal to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to organise a co-ordinated nationwide struggle to actualise the new minimum wage for all categorise of workers across the country. This is necessary to prevent a situation where workers fight in isolation from one state to another."

In a swift reaction to yesterday's attack on protesting Lagos State workers which left one dead and seven others wounded, the NLC warned that "the resort to repressive measures by the government and police would only worsen the already tense situation in the country."

It described the attack "murderous, barbaric and a dastardly act by Governor Tinubu." The congress declared that "we are aghast and disgusted that the Tinubu administration could allow the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the police force under his control to shoot live bullets at unarmed workers who were holding peaceful mass meeting at the Lagos Secretariat, Alausa."

A statement by NLC Acting General Secretary, Mr. John Odah, said Labour is "shocked and dismayed, given that this senseless and outrageous act led to the murder in cold blood of a worker and grievous wounding of several others including the chairman of the Lagos State Council of the NLC, Alhaja Aminat Olorunmibe."

The congress urged Tinubu and his advisers to learn from this that "there is no alternative to dialogue and negotiation, as no amount of intimidation, harassment, or repression will stop workers from their legitimate struggle for a just wage." It then demanded the:

• immediate and unconditional release of Ayodele Akele;
• the identification and prosecution of the trigger-happy police officers responsible for the murder and wounding of workers at the mass meeting;
• that the Lagos State government must pay due compensation to the family of the deceased; and
• also pay compensation to those wounded as well as take full responsibility for their treatment.

The governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu consequently ordered the workers to stay at home until further notice, adding that security agencies had been put at alert to protect lives and property.

In a broadcast in reaction to the death of Popoola, the governor said the decision was to avert any further tragic events.

Tinubu said: "This afternoon, as I returned from welcoming the vice-president, who was on a visit >from Abuja, I heard the tragic and awful news of the death of one of our staff, Mr. Adigun Popoola, a chief driver in the electrical department of the Ministry of Works.

"Mr. Popoola was on the account of the Honourable Commissioner for Works - with whom he worked - a dutiful and dedicated worker.

"Although, we do not yet have details of the exact cause or circumstances of the death, preliminary reports indicate that the avoidable tragedy occurred during an encounter between the demonstrating workers and law enforcement agents.

"I must say that this is for me a deeply distressing occurrence and a tragedy we could all have averted in the spirit of compromise and peace.

"Workers had been demonstrating outside the secretariat on a daily basis since the first day of the strike almost 14 days ago and no one was hurt or maimed.

"The turn of event this morning is therefore shocking and disturbing. The government deeply regrets the death of Popoola. I personally was shocked and devastated by this shattering news of the death of a dedicated worker."

Tinubu expressed the condolences of the people and government of the state, adding that full investigation into circumstances leading to his death is already on-going.

He concluded: "In order to avert further disturbances, all workers except those on essential services are hereby directed to stay at home until further notice. All security agencies have been put on the alert to protect the lives and properties of the citizenry."

The governor also said that the state government is considering giving the late Popoola a befitting burial.

On the way forward, the governor said the state Executive Council would meet soon on a decision.

Tinubu said as the chief security officer of the state, he did not order the arrest of Akele.

According to him, the Labour leader, afterall, is still a civil servant, adding that if he was truly fed up with him, he could order the termination of his appointment instead of arresting him.