August 11, (THEWILL) – A day after security operatives reportedly raided the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Labour House and vandalised its library, another raid by security agents comprising agents of the Department of State Services (DSS) and police, laid siege to the office of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) in Ikeja, Lagos State.
THEWILL earlier reported that the labour congress, in a statement issued by its Head of Media and Public Relations, Comrade Benson Upah, said 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.
Upah said, “They broke in 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.”
However, DSS spokesperson, Dr. Peter Afunanya, said its personnel did not carry out any raid on the NLC office building.
“Kindly note that the Service (DSS) did not carry out any operation at the NLC office in Abuja,” Afunanya said in response to media inquiry.
On Thursday, security operatives surrounded the office at 43, Adeniyi Jones Avenue, off Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja, ahead of a public symposium and candlelight procession scheduled for Friday, August 9.
The event, which is part of the #EndBadGovernance protests movement, aims to pay tribute to people who lost their lives due to poor governance in Nigeria.
Organisers had invited the public to join the solemn gathering. Attendees were requested to wear black mourning attire and bring candles.
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 the 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.
On Friday night, the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi said the raid was conducted by the police.
He said the NLC office was not the target of the operation. “This well-coordinated, lawful operation was solely aimed at apprehending the prime suspect—a foreign national implicated in numerous criminal activities across Nigeria and other African countries,” he said, adding that, “we emphasise that this operation had no connection with the NLC, its secretariat, staff, or leadership. The NLC secretariat was not the focus of the operation, which was targeted at a rented shop within the building used by the suspect as a front for his criminal activities in Nigeria.
“The Nigeria Police Force seeks the cooperation and support of the NLC leadership as we continue this investigation, which is vital to safeguarding our nation. The high-profile nature of the suspect poses a significant security threat to Nigeria and other African nations, making this investigation crucial for the safety of all involved, including the NLC.”
The raid has attracted reactions from Nigerians and organisations, namely the governing All Progressibves Congress, APC, opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Labour Party, LP and the New Nigeria Peoples Party , NNPP, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, and human rights activist, Femi Falana and the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP).
Falana said, “The invasion is a shameful reminder of the armed invasion of the NLC secretariat on February 28, 1988, following the loss of the post of the president of the congress at the triennial delegates conference of the congress by the stooge of the Ibrahim Babangida military junta.”
“As if the invasion was not enough, the reactionary forces in power at the material time proceeded to seize the secretariat and impose a sole administrator to manage the affairs of the congress for over a year.
“Two years earlier, security operatives had detained NLC leaders, including its president, Comrade Ali Chiroma, who died a few months ago.
“The Gestapo tactic on that tragic occasion was to forestall a nationwide protest in response to police killings of Ahmadu Bello University students.
“For genuine democrats, it’s utterly regrettable that official actions in a democratic dispensation could be reminiscent of the atrocities that defined the dark days of military dictatorship.” Falana said it is illegal for security forces to invade the homes and offices of law-abiding citizens and corporate bodies under a democratic dispensation.
“Hence, the State Security Service has denied its involvement in the invasion,” he said. “However, the official denial of the State Security Service in the repressive activity is not sufficient.
“We are therefore compelled to call on the Inspector-General of Police to order an inquiry into the identities of the perpetrators of the illegal invasion. This should not be a case of unknown invaders!”
The CNPP said the raid was unwarranted raid, saying that this Gestapo-style operation, which involved forcefully gaining entry into the offices of the labour congress, is a blatant disregard for the principles of democracy and the rule of law.
According to the Deputy National publicity Secretary of the organisation, Comrade James Edema, “It is appalling that this incident occurred under the watch of President Bola Tinubu, who was produced through opposition struggle and has presented himself as a democrat over the years. The CNPP demands that President Tinubu immediately call to order the security agencies that are turning Nigeria into a police state, attacking opposition voices and hounding them into detention in a manner reminiscent of a draconian military junta.
He said that while the orgnisation was not advocating violent agitation, protests or distribution of inciting materials, it cannot accept the high-handedness of our security forces within civilian environments.
“At a time when farmers cannot farm in peace due to insecurity, the attempt to gag citizens or intimidate them into submission is unacceptable to a civilized society. This approach will only embolden the masses and earn more hatred for the Tinubu administration from people who are already undergoing unbearable economic pains and worsening hunger.
As the saying goes, “a hungry man is an angry man.” We warn that if the Bola Tinubu Administration forgets that Mr President was a product of the trenches, it may be disastrous for the economy if security agencies push citizens underground through the ongoing high-handedness.
“We call on President Tinubu to respect the rights of citizens, including the NLC, and to focus on addressing the economic and security challenges facing the nation. The CNPP will continue to speak out against any form of oppression and advocate for the rights of Nigerians under a democratic and constitutional governance where the welfare of the citizens remains a top priority at all times.
On their part, the political parties toed predictable lines. While the APC called for restraint, saying it was too early to rush to a conclusion and start casting aspersions, the PDP, LP, and NNPP, slammed the act.
The PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, condemned the act as a clear attempt to suppress organised labour
He said, “What happened yesterday is condemnable. As a party, we do not subscribe to that approach. Security agencies shouldn’t be deployed to go to institutions of the state, like the labour office, to ransack them and then suspect or blackmail them into sponsoring what you call a protest. Nigerians are entitled to their rights. Nigerians can see through them and through the government, and they have decided that they will go on the street.
“It is condemnable. As a party, we do not support it, and we see it as a further attempt to coerce the citizens and get them into silence. That is just the attempt or the decision of the APC.
For the LP, the act spells doom for democracy and rule of law. Its presidential campaign committee spokesperson, Yunusa Tanko, said, “No one needs to come into the NLC office in a commando style. These are people who are accessible to you. At any point in time, you can easily walk into the NLC office and issue them a warrant and say you suspect something is going on and you want to charge them if you find anything incriminating. So what is all this showmanship of barging into the NLC office unannounced and saying you are investigating some documents? These are respected union leaders, not criminals.”
The National Publicity Secretary of New Nigeria People’s Party, Ladipo Johnson, said the raid was a sad reminder of the dark days under the military regimes.
He said, “One begins to wonder whether they are going back to the military days. One begins to wonder about their propensity to tolerate constructive criticism or protests, which is an aspect of democracy for that matter. It would seem that from Mr President’s speech, he feels that the people do not understand. He hasn’t expressed that he will look again at some of his major policies that people believe have brought the economy to the stage it is at.”
