Security operatives, believed to be from the Department of State Services (DSS), raided the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters in Abuja late Wednesday night. The raid is linked to allegations that the NLC sponsored the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests.
Arriving around 10 p.m., masked operatives, some armed with rifles, targeted the 10th floor, where NLC President Joe Ajaero’s office is located, before moving to the second floor, which houses other NLC offices. The operatives reportedly ransacked the NLC bookshop, seizing materials they claimed were used to incite the protests.
The NLC confirmed the raid in a statement on its social media platform, condemning the action as a severe violation of democratic principles.
“Even in the dark days of military rule, NLC secretariats were never invaded and ransacked by security agents. Today is a very sad day for our democracy”, the workers union quipped.
It said the security operatives acted without any enabling court order, demanded an international inquiry into the incident, and directed its staff to avoid the office until further notice.
It also condemned the government for the “manner that security agents manhandled protesters in many parts of the country, and the needless bloodshed that ensued” and threatened to go on a nationwide strike if the “harassment continues.”
The raid follows recent protests across Nigeria against the rising cost of living, which escalated with calls for regime change in some sections of the country.
President Bola Tinubu has since ordered the security forces to mitigate the protests, leading to multiple arrests and heightened security measures.
Efforts to obtain a response from the DSS were unsuccessful, as calls to their spokesperson went unanswered as at press time.
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