Heavily armed security personnel stormed and raided the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja on Thursday, the union has said.

According to the union, the operatives stormed the Labour House, as its headquarters is called, around 8:30 pm.

“They broke in and ransacked the bookshop on the 2nd floor carting away hundreds of books and other publications,” said a statement by the NLC’s head of Media and Public Relations, Benson Upah.

“The invading troop claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGoveranance Protests.”

The NLC is not immediately able to ascertain all the things taken away from its offices.

The raid, which was carried out six days after the #EndBadGovernance protests started, has been blasted by the union. The NLC also demanded the immediate withdrawal of the security operatives from its headquarters.

“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 said.

“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.”

Read the NLC’s full statement below:

Press Release

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).

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. When he told them that he had no such keys on him, they broke into the 10th floor and ransacked the bookshop on the 2nd floor carting away hundreds of books and other publications. The invading troop 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.

Just this afternoon, the National Executive Council of the NLC took note and vehemently condemned the high-handed manner that security agents manhandled protesters in many parts of the country and the needless bloodshed that ensued. We also condemned the sweeping mass arrests of those perceived to have led the protest. The NEC also frowned at the reckless use of ‘treason’ to describe the protest and demanded for moderation. What we did not see coming was the invasion of the Labour House by masked and heavily armed security operatives hours later.

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.

Given the state of things, the Nigeria Labour Congress has directed all its staff to stay away from the Labour House for now until we are certain that there are no incriminating materials or harmful substances dropped in our offices by the invading operatives. In order to allay our fears, we demand an international inquiry into this very traumatic invasion.

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 should be returned unfailingly to where they were taken from before the end of work tomorrow, 8th August 2024. We make this demand given the illegality of the operation as there was no court order for the invasion, ransacking and looting of the publications.

If this harassment continues, the Nigeria Labour Congress will not hesitate to call on its members to stay home until their safety and security are assured. We warn that the asphyxiation of the public space and channels for constructive engagement, dialogue and negotiations in light of the excruciating difficulties that Nigerians are going through right now would only make matters worse. A stitch in time might still save nine!

Comrade Benson Upah

Head, Media and Public Relations

Nigeria Labour Congress

7th August 2024