According to a report by Punch, a 40 year old man
is accusing his Chinese boss and his cousin of
brutalizing him. Full report below...
A newly hired employee of a Chinese firm
based in the Sagamu area of Ogun State has
accused his Chinese boss, Mike Jackson, of
brutality.
The victim, Adeleke Owolabi, told Punch
Metro that Mike and his cousin, Tony
Jackson, brutalised him during an argument
in Mike’s office.
Owolabi said he had just been hired by Mike
to be a marketer in the northern part of the
country.
The 40-year-old victim said, “I have been self-
employed for a long time and I met Mike sometime
last year. He offered me a marketing job in his
company and asked me to resume in the first
week of January.
"He produces PVC, a roofing material, and said he
wanted to expand to the north and since I needed
the job, I accepted. I went on January 6, but he
told me to return the following day. However, I
could not make it because I travelled. On January
8, I returned and after discussions, he said I
should go get a sack in which I could put the PVC
into.
“I bought a Ghana-must-go bag of N500 with my
own money and one of his former marketers
showed me how to package them. I loaded 200
pieces into the sack and I was set for my travel to
the north. But Mike said I should proceed to the
production section to learn more about the
product.”
The graduate of Mass Communications from
Olabisi Onabanjo University said when it was
about 4pm, he told Mike that he wanted to leave
so that he could arrive Kano on time, but an
argument ensued.
He said Mike became violent and descended on
him.
Owolabi said, “After pleading with Mike, he said I
should remove the PVC from the bag and return
the bag. As I was doing this, Mike kicked me in
my private part. I asked him why he was being
wicked to me since he was the one who offered
me the job.
“He said I was not handling the PVC properly and
they could break. He then slapped me, so I held his
shirt in order to stop him, but his cousin, Tony,
smashed a bottle on my head and beat me up until
I fainted.”
The father of two said when he woke up, he was
covered in blood. He said a lady took him to the
Makun Police Division from where he was referred
to Idera Hospital for treatment.
He alleged that the Chinese men refused to visit
him at the hospital and did not offer any apology.
He said the police refused to press charges
against the Chinese men.
“The police said since Mike and Tony were
foreigners, a lot of things would be involved. I then
reported the matter to a human rights organisation
and the case was taken to the Nigerian
Immigration Service, Ogun State Command. Mike
and his cousin came on January 17, and that was
the first time they apologised to me and promised
to help me secure a Chinese visa,” Owolabi said.
Owolabi said he had been having medical
challenges since the incident occurred.
“These days, I find it hard to sleep at night. The
doctor said I should do a brain CT and spinal
cord X- Ray and it costs about N45, 000,” he
said.
He urged the government to ensure that Nigerians
were not maltreated in their respective places of
work.
Attempts to contact Mike on the telephone proved
abortive as he did not answer calls made to his
telephone and also did not respond to a text
message sent to the phone.
Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi,
who confirmed the incident, said the case would
soon be transferred to the State Criminal
Investigation Department, Eleweran, Abeokuta.
Adejobi said, “The matter was reported at the
police station and the lawyers of both parties
decided to have settlement talks. However, the
aggrieved party was not satisfied as a human
rights organisation came to register a complaint.
The matter is being transferred to SCID,
Eleweran.”
Update: Police detain Chinese for assaulting
employee in Ogun
The State Criminal Investigation Department,
Eleweran, Ogun State, has detained two
Chinese nationals, Mike Jackson and Tony
Jackson, for allegedly brutalising Adeleke
Owolabi, an employee of their company,
Jivan Plastic Company.
Owolabi had said the police refused to arrest
the Chinese men due to their status as
foreigners.
However, it was learnt that after PUNCH
Metro’s publication, the police immediately
stormed the PVC manufacturing company in
Sagamu and whisked the suspects away.
It was learnt that the suspects apologised to
Owolabi, who was also at the SCID to write a
statement.
Owolabi said, “Yes, the Chinese men have
been detained at the SCID and I am satisfied
with the action of the police so far. I am
happy that the media are helping to ensure
that the matter is not swept under the carpet.
“I am not after money but I just don’t want a
situation whereby Nigerians are treated
badly by foreigners in their own land.”
It was learnt that the suspects would remain
in police custody until the completion of
investigation.
Source: Punch
