The Nigeria Labour Congress has reported an alarming security breach at its Abuja headquarters.
On Wednesday night, operatives, reportedly from the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force, forcibly entered the building.
According to The PUNCH, NLC’s spokesperson, Benson Upah, in a statement, explained that the operatives detained the security guards and compelled them to provide access to the second-floor offices.
Once inside, the intruders vandalized the bookshop, making off with hundreds of books and publications.
The NLC has strongly condemned this intrusion as unlawful and a breach of democratic norms.
The organization is calling for an international investigation into the incident and the return of the stolen materials.
This invasion follows a National Executive Council meeting held by the NLC earlier that day, where members had criticized the harsh tactics used by security forces against protesters during the #EndBadGoverance demonstrations.
In response to the invasion, the NLC has instructed its staff to avoid the office until further notice.
The organization has also warned that continued harassment might lead to a broader call for members to stay home until their safety is guaranteed.
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.”
