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In a shocking and unprecedented turn of events, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters in Abuja was raided by heavily armed security operatives on Wednesday night, leaving a trail of destruction and confiscated materials in their wake.

The raid, which began at 8:30 pm, was widely condemned by the NLC as a “new low in security operations” and a “significant regression in the nation’s democratic principles.”

According to eyewitnesses, the security personnel, comprising members of the Nigeria Police Force, individuals in black tee-shirts presumed to be from the Department of State Services (DSS), and others in plain clothes, descended on the 10th Floor of the imposing Labour House building, arresting the security officer on duty and coercing him to the second floor.

Unable to procure keys to the NLC offices from the security officer, the operatives forcibly broke into the second floor, ransacking the bookshop and seizing hundreds of books and other publications.

The NLC’s Head, Information and Public Affairs, Comrade Benson Upah, revealed that the operatives alleged they were searching for seditious materials linked to the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.

However, the NLC strongly denied any involvement in inciting violence or unrest, stating that the raid was a blatant attempt to intimidate and silence the organization.

“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 (NLC),” Upah said in a statement.

“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.”

Upah further stated that the NLC condemns the raid in its entirety, adding that if the harassment continues, the organization will not hesitate to call on its members to stay home until their safety and security are assured.

The raid comes on the heels of the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) condemnation of the excessive force used by security agents against protesters across the country, as well as the mass arrests of perceived protest leaders. The Council had also criticized the branding of the protests as ‘treason’ and called for moderation.

The NLC has directed its staff to avoid the Labour House on Thursday until it is certain that no incriminating or harmful materials were planted by the invading operatives. The Congress also called for an international inquiry into the raid and demanded the immediate withdrawal of security forces from its premises, as well as the return of all confiscated materials by the end of work on Thursday, August 8, 2024.

The incident has sparked widespread outrage and condemnation from civil society organizations, human rights groups, and concerned citizens, who view the raid as a blatant attack on democracy and the rule of law. As the situation continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the NLC will not be silenced, and its fight for workers’ rights and social justice will continue unabated.

StreetReporters.ng

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