Minimum Wage protest turns violent in Plateau as Police tear-gas, arrest protesting LG workers

A protest by the aggrieved local government workers drawn from the 17 local government areas of Plateau State went violent at the popular Secretariat Junction on Monday, as the joint security task force, comprising the police and the army, fired tear gas on the protesters, with many of them arrested and taken away.

The aggrieved workers had been protesting the non-payment of the N30, 000 minimum wage by the state government for the past three weeks.

The local government workers all dressed in black, had gathered at the Plateau state Secretariat in Jos, as early as 7 am in continuation of their protest as usual, when the security operatives invaded the area with tear gas to disperse them.

Chairperson Medical and Health Employees of the local government, Gloria Nyam, told reporters that about thirty-two of their members were molested, arrested and taken away by the operatives while others sustained various degrees of injuries.

Nyam also said that although they have secured the release of those arrested, the action will not deter them from going ahead with their protest, until their issues are resolved.

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A spokesman for the Plateau State Police Command, ASP Gabriel Ubah, when contacted, denied any knowledge of arrest made by his men in connection with the protests.