The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has reported that its Abuja headquarters was raided by security personnel, reportedly from the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force, on Wednesday night.
NLC spokesperson Benson Upah stated that the personnel detained the security guards late Wednesday and coerced them into handing over the keys to the second-floor offices.
Subsequently, the personnel breached the floor, searched through the bookshop, and stole hundreds of books and publications.
The NLC has denounced the raid, calling it unlawful and a breach of democratic values.
The organization called for a global investigation into the event and the restitution of the pilfered items.
The attack took place only hours after the National Executive Council meeting of the NLC, during which members criticized the excessive force used by security personnel against protesters in the #EndBadGoverance protests.
The NLC has instructed its employees to refrain from coming to the office until further updates are provided. They have also cautioned that if the harassment persists, they might urge their members to remain at home until their safety and security are guaranteed.
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The statement read “This evening at about 8.30 pm long after the close of work, a troop of heavily armed security operatives invaded the Labour House, Central Business District, Abuja which serves as the National Headquarters and secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
“The security operatives, some from the Nigeria Police Force, some wearing black tee-shirts presumably from the Department of State Services 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 floor and ransacked the bookshop on the 2nd floor carting away hundreds of books and other publications. The invading troops 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.”
The PUNCH
