Killing at Ladol was deliberate, Samsung insists, alleges falsification of reports

Samsung Heavy Industries Nigeria (SHIN) has declared that the killing of a Korean and a Nigerian by an unknown gunman at LADOL Free Zone was deliberate and not accidental discharge, as managers of the zone claimed.

Its Managing Director, Jejin Jeon, said the attack was deliberate and has engendered fear among workers in the fabrication yard.

He urged the authorities to do a thorough investigation and come out with a fair and accurate report.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos on the incident, Jeon stated that the LADOL guard fired deliberately at his National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) colleague, killing him with three shots at the scene.

He explained that the culprit carried the action before moving to a different location where he also shot the Korean employee that had been working in a crawler crane in the SHI-MCI yard.

Jeon, who also showed journalists video evidence of the incident to support his claim, stated that the Commandant General of NSCDC Mohammed Abdullahi Gana’s statement that the NSCDC guard opened fire ‘in error’ was false, insisting that the shooting was a deliberate and unprovoked attack.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident, which occurred on Tuesday, April 9, 2019 at LADOL, the statement added.

The statement issued by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Olakunle Kalejaiye, noted: “We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the NSCDC officer, who lost his life and the Samsung staff member, who was injured on the scene, but later died.”

Meanwhile, Jeon noted that SHI-MCI FZE had reported several security lapses to LADOL over disorderly and dangerous conduct of LADOL’s armed guards and how SHI-MCI employees were vulnerable and subject to life-threatening danger, but no action was taken.

He alleged that armed guards were imposed on SHI-MCI FZE by the Zonal Manager, GRMFZC and provided by its affiliate, LADOL on the grounds that external dangers might arise at the quay wall.

SHI-MCI FZE had notified LADOL of several incidents in the past of dangerous conduct of LADOL’s armed security guards at SHI-MCI quay wall and cautioned that the guards posed a risk to employees.  But the complaints were ignored by LADOL,” he added.

He disclosed that SHIN would ensure that LADOL and NSCDC take responsibility for organisational and management failure that paved way for killing at the LADOL Free Zone.