The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused security agencies both in uniform and mufti. of invading its national secretariat in Abuja by armed security operatives
The NLC President Joe Ajaero revealed this in a text message sent to the group WhatsApp platform of Labour Correspondents on Wednesday in Abuja.
Ajaero said the invasion of the Labour House was carried out at about 9 p.m.
“Comrades, armed security men, both in uniform and mufti, invaded the Labour House in their numbers and were at the 10th Floor and 2nd Floor,” he said.
He alleged that they ransacked books at the bookshop, carrying all the materials into their van claiming that the materials were used to incite and organise the recent protest,” he said
The NLC spokesperson, Benson Upah, condemned the act in a statement, saying
“The security operatives, some from the Nigeria Police Force, some wearing black tee-shirts presumably from the Department of State Services (DSS), and others on outright mufti swooped on the 10th Floor of the NLC and arrested the security operative on duty and then commandeered him to the second floor where he was asked to produce the keys to the offices.
“When he told them that he had no such keys on him, they broke into the 10th floor and ransacked the bookshop on the 2nd floor carting away hundreds of books and other publications. The invading troop claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGoveranance Protests.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress condemns in its entirety this new low in security operations in Nigeria. The armed security operatives showed no legal document permitting them to invade the premises of the Nigeria Labour Congress in the ungodly hours of the night. Even in the dark days of military rule, NLC secretariats were never invaded and ransacked by security agents. Today is indeed a very sad day for our democracy.”
Upah said the invasion occurred hours after the National Executive Council of the NLC took note and condemned the high-handed manner that security agents manhandled protesters in many parts of the country “and the needless bloodshed that ensued
The Labour has demanded the immediate withdrawal of the troops of invading security agents from the premises of the Labour House, Abuja adding that “We also demand that all the books and materials carted away by the invading security operatives should be returned unfailingly to where they were taken from before the end of work tomorrow, August 8, 2024 being today Thursday.
“We make this demand given the illegality of the operation as there was no court order for the invasion, ransacking and looting of the publications.”
