By Olusegun Olanrewaju and Ben Adoga
The Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday denied raiding the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the nation’s capital, Abuja.
The NLC headquarters was late Wednesday raided by security operatives that carted away ‘some documents.’
According to accompanying reports, the security agency’s denial came in the wake of Wednesday’s allegations by the NLC that the Service had sent armed men to its office, carting away some mystery documents and books in the process.
The NLC reiterated that the operatives of the DSS had stormed the Labour House around 8:30 pm, breaking in, and ransacking everywhere.
The Labour union’s position, “They broke in and ransacked the bookshop on the 2nd floor, carting away hundreds of books and other publications,” a statement by the NLC’s head of Media and Public Relations, Benson Upah said.
It added, “The invading troop claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGoveranance Protests.”
According to Upah, the NLC was “not immediately able to ascertain all the things taken away from its offices.”
However, responding yesterday, DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, denied that the Service personnel were responsible for the ransacking of the labour union’s office.
He penned, “Good morning dear friends. Please note that the Service (DSS) did not carry out any operation at the NLC Office in Abuja.”
The NLC later stated its condemnation of the raid, demanding the ‘immediate’ withdrawal of the security operatives from its headquarters.
It stated, “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.”
The NLC added, “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.”
*Boycott
Following the development, members of staff and officials of the NLC yesterday boycotted their offices after the raid by their security operatives on Wednesday night.
The Congress’ president, Joe Ajaero, alleged that its national secretariat tagged ‘Paschal Bafyau House’ in Abuja had been invaded by armed security operatives, both in uniform and mufti.
Ajaero, in a message sent to the group via the social medium, WhatsApp, sent to Labour correspondents, Ajaero said the incident occurred at about 9pm.
The Congress president also said the operatives ransacked books at a bookshop located in the building, carrying all the materials into their van, claiming that they were used to incite and organise the recent nationwide protest.
Meanwhile, at the 10-story building behind the Federal Ministry of Finance in the Central Business District (CBD) of Abuja, it was observed that no staff or officials of the Congress reported for work.
Also, the Congress’ offices on about three floors of the building, including those of the President and the General Secretary (10th floor), were locked.
*NLC decries occupation of office
Afterward, the NLC decried the occupation of its national headquarters in Abuja by soldiers.
It charged the Federal Government (FG) to withdraw the armed troops forthwith.
The Congress’ image maker, Upah wrote, “The security operatives, some from the Nigeria Police Force, some wearing black T-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.
“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 statement said.
It elucidated, “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 law 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.”
Thus, the NLC, in its NEC meeting yesterday vehemently condemned the occupation of its headquarters by security agents.
It also berated what it called the government’s high-handedness on the protesters, by security agents.
It would be recalled that the NLC had declared that it would not be a part of the ongoing protests but admonished the protesters to be peaceful and not to destroy property, even before the protests started.
The NLC said, “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.
“Finally, we demand the immediate withdrawal of the troops 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.”
