Four Killed, As Dockworkers Protest

Dele Aderibigbe and Folashade Alli, Lagos - 15.03.2008

ALL business activities at the Apapa Ports Complex in Lagos came to sudden halt on Friday as dockworkers vent their anger to protest the sudden death by crane of two of their members.

The sad event, however, led to the death of two others, one of them said to be ‘a motor boy’, when an ambulance dispatched to rush the victims to the hospital, in the confusion that followed, lost control, and allegedly killed two persons at the scene and injured two others.

Eyewitnesses told the Saturday Tribune that trouble started at Ports’ Berth 10, under the management of the ENL, after the cable of a ship’s crane, the Green Reefers, snapped tumbling down a huge faulty crane which instantly killed 2 dockworkers on the spot.

One of them was reportedly loading frozen fish, while the other which saw his death coming, could not run away from the tumbling avalanche.

The situation, according to the sources, however only worsened when an ambulance that was sent for and which came to pick the dead, also killed two other persons and injured three, one of them, critically.

The ambulance was subsequently set ablaze after which the dockworkers went violent, attacked ENL offices and properties, vandalising office equipment and cars before bringing all business activities to a halt.

The Commissioner of Police Port Athority (PAP), Mr. J. O. Uzuagbunam, told journalists that the death, though sad, was an accident.