August 08, (THEWILL) – Heavily armed security operatives, on Wednesday, raided the National Secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Central Business District, Abuja.
A press statement issued by NLC’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Comrade Benson Upah, said the Labour House was invaded by a mix of personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and unidentified operatives dressed in plain clothes at about 8.30pm on Wednesday.
The statement reads: “This evening, at about 8.30 p.m., 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 (NLC).
“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, 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 #EndBadGovernance 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 National Executive Council of the NLC took note and vehemently condemned the high-handed manner in which security agents manhandled protesters in many parts of the country and the needless bloodshed that ensued. We also condemned the sweeping mass arrests of those perceived to have led the protest. The NEC also frowned at the reckless use of ‘treason’ to describe the protest and demanded moderation. What we did not see coming was the invasion of the Labour House by masked and heavily armed security operatives hours later.
“In the light of the foregoing and the ominous sign it portends for democratic rights, freedom of speech and association, and the unimpeachable right of citizens to protest peacefully on any issue they feel strongly about, we call on the international community to take note of the deterioration of democratic principles in the bid to turn Nigeria into a police state.
“Given the experience of the leadership of the NLC in recent times at the receiving end of the naked brute force of the state, especially the near daylight assassination of the NLC President by security operatives and thugs, our fears of a Nigerian state that is descending into enforced brutality are well founded. We fear that the situation might deteriorate.
“Given the state of things, the Nigeria Labour Congress has directed all its staff to stay away from the Labour House for now until we are certain that there are no incriminating materials or harmful substances dropped in our offices by the invading operatives. In order to allay our fears, we demand an international inquiry into this very traumatic invasion.
“We demand the immediate withdrawal of the troop of invading security agents from the premises of the Labour House, Abuja. We also demand that all the books and materials carted away by the invading security operatives be returned unfailingly to where they were taken from before the end of work tomorrow, August 8, 2024. 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.
“If this harassment continues, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not hesitate to call on its members to stay home until their safety and security are assured. We warn that the asphyxiation of the public space and channels for constructive engagement, dialogue, and negotiations in light of the excruciating difficulties that Nigerians are going through right now would only make matters worse. A stitch in time might still save nine!”
THEWILL cannot immediately confirm the motive for the raid as Peter Afunanya, Spokesperson of the DSS, didn’t respond to phone calls. However, the development may not be unconnected to the ongoing nationwide protest against hunger and economic hardship in the country.
Nigerians had on Thursday, August 1, hit the streets to protest what they tagged #EndBadGovernance in the country. However, the protest took a different dimension when protesters in the northern part of the country hoisting Russian flag called for regime change.
President Bola Tinubu had summoned heads of security agencies and directed a crackdown on those threatening democracy in Nigeria.
The DSS and other security agencies have so far conducted a series of raids and arrested dozens of persons, including foreign nationals.
Nigeria, on Wednesday, reiterated her sovereignty warning against any external interference in the ongoing nationwide protest.
