Okitipupa Oil Palm Company lost property worth N300m to hoodlums’ attack – CEO

The Okitipupa Oil Palm Company in Okitipupa Local Government area of Ondo State says it lost property worth more than N300 million to the Oct. 22 attack by hoodlums.

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Taiwo Adewole, made the disclosure in a statement issued on Tuesday in Okitipupa, after assessing the level of arson and vandalism of the buildings and other assets of the organisation.

Adewole, who described the attack by the hoodlums as barbaric, brutal and horrendous, adding that the development had created serious setback for the company, which, he said, had only been managing to survive after being moribund for decades.

He noted that the hoodlums only took advantage of the peaceful EndSARS protest to carry out their nefarious activities, stressing that their target was to ground the company.

He said that he and other management staffers of the company were seriously devastated by the level of destruction of the firm, which he described as the only commonwealth of the council area.

While urging the youth to desist from any act of vandalism, Adewole said that the havoc wreaked on the company would definitely have an adverse on the economy of the area and the stakeholders, especially the youth, who constituted 85 per cent of the employees.

“I am indeed devastated by the level of arson and vandalism on buildings and other property by the hoodlums who hid under the guise of EndSARS protest to perpetrate their barbaric, wicked and horrendous act.

‘”There are certain items and consumables whose values cannot be easily quantified. However, in term of the buildings and other physical structures burnt and those carted away, I can put it the loss at about N300 million.

“This is indeed a direct attack on the economy and the general wellbeing of the people of this area, because the company is their only commonwealth,” the chief executive officer said.

He urged the security agencies to ensure that the perpetrators of the dastardly acts were brought to justice.