Forced Labour: 300 Workers Rescued In Rice Factory By Nigerian Police

The Nigerian police, Kano command have rescued hundreds of labourers who were forced to spend three months in a factory called “popular farm rice” in Challawa industrial area.

The workers were allegedly not allowed to leave the mill in the northern city of Kano since the end of March.

The workers were promised an additional sum of about N5000 a month on top of their N30000 monthly salary; those who did not agree were threatened with the sack.

The workers told our correspondent S’Teller that they were threatened to lose their jobs if they go home.

The Kano police command stormed the factory on Monday after obtaining a court injunction, arresting five managers and releasing the detained workers.

Police spokesman Abdullahi Haruna told our correspondent S’Teller that the plant had now been shut down and the Indian owners were being investigated for “holding the workers against their will.”

He said that 126 people had been found. However, the workers claimed that the there were 300 of them on site.

Some of the men say were forced to work most of the time during their incarceration, with little food.

“We were allowed to rest for only a short time, no prayers were allowed, no family visits” one of the workers said.

According to the workers, they were denied exeat of the factory for the fear of contracting COVID-19 outside.

One of the freed workers told journalists that he has been in the factory since March 23rd without setting his foot outside.

Another worker, Haruna Salihu, said he had been in the factory since March 28 and was denied time to visit his family and parents.

“Our family members are seriously disturbed, as they don’t know the (condition we are in). My wife and my kids used to come to the factory’s gate and I couldn’t go and meet them.

“We were tricked to stay in the factory for five days, then (it was) extended to seven days, then two weeks and subsequently extended to one month. We are now detained for over three months. There are about 600 workers in the factory. We are sleeping in a very poor environment. I am appealing to authorities to allow me to go back to my family.”

According to another employee, though he was not forced to stay, he was threatened with dismissal if he decided to go outside the factory.

Also, a truck driver, Hashimu Isa, who brought paddy rice from Kebbi State, narrated how he was kept in the factory for three days without going out.

“I brought paddy rice from Yauri, Kebbi State. I couldn’t go out of the factory, since my entry three days ago. Even if you attempted to go out, the security will not allow you. I couldn’t go out to give my boy money to buy food. Someone sent me ten thousand Naira, but I couldn’t go to the bank to withdraw it. I was waiting to (offload) the rice, so that I will leave,” he said.

The police spokesperson in Kano, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa said;

“We have found many workers locked and enslaved in the factory. The commissioner of police, Habu A Sani, has directed for thorough investigation. So far, we have arrested five management staff and investigation has commenced.”

The manager of the rice mill, who identified himself as Abdulkareem, regretted the incident, saying he was not aware of the workers’ terrible conditions.

See pictures;

Workers at Rice Mill
Sleeping area
sleeping condition
Arrest in progress

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