NLC Challenges Police Account of Raid On Abuja Secretariat, Alleges Targeted Harassment

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Saturday disputed the police’s account of Wednesday’s raid on its headquarters in Abuja.

The union, which met on Saturday over the police invasion, also fumed over the arrest of its Vice Chairman in Kogi State, who is also a Zonal Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) over the allegation of sponsoring the recent nationwide protests.

Contrary to the claim by the police authorities that their operatives only visited a bookstore within the same building as the NLC to arrest a foreign national, the labour union said the invading police officers forced their way into its offices during the raid.

“The police claim to be conducting a nationwide investigation that comprises other countries, yet their so-called intelligence led them to our building well after office hours.

“If they were acting in good faith, why did their investigation take them specifically to the 10th floor, where the offices of the NLC President and General Secretary are located? This is nothing short of harassment under the guise of an investigation,” the NLC’s General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, told PREMIUM TIMES over the telephone.

He insisted that the police intentionally raided the NLC offices but did not disclose if they went away with anything.

“You said you were looking for one man, but you went to the 10th floor and asked the security guard if you were at the Nigeria Labour Congress office. How does that sound? Does that sound like people who don’t know where they are going?” he said.

Ugboaja condemned the police operation, describing it as “shameful”.

He said the NLC leadership had scheduled an emergency meeting on Saturday to deliberate on the incident and chart a course of action.

However, before the commencement of the NEC meeting, a report the labour leaders were informed that one of their colleagues was allegedly picked up about a week ago by security operatives over alleged sponsorship of the nationwide protest.

He was identified as a Zonal Secretary of NUEE and also Vice Chairman of Kogi State Council of NLC.

A source from one of the unions said that the official had been in detention for a week and was not allowed access to his family.

THISDAY gathered that the NLC was spoiling for a showdown with the federal government.

Onyebuchi Ezigbo 

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