The Department of State Services (DSS) has refuted claims by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) that its officers raided the union’s headquarters in Abuja.
The controversy erupted following a statement by the NLC on Wednesday, alleging that heavily armed operatives stormed the Labour House, located in the Central Business District of Abuja, late in the evening.
According to the union, the raid occurred around 8:30 p.m., long after the close of work, with the intruders forcefully breaking into the building and ransacking the bookshop on the 2nd floor.
Benson Upah, the head of Media and Public Relations at NLC, expressed shock at the invasion, noting that the operatives carted away hundreds of books and other publications.
“The invading troop claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGovernance protests,” Upah stated, adding that the NLC was yet to fully ascertain all the items taken from its offices.
In a swift response on Thursday, the DSS denied involvement in the alleged raid. The agency’s spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, dismissed the claims in a brief message, stating, “Please kindly note that the Service (DSS) did not carry out any operation at the NLC office in Abuja.”
Despite the denial, the NLC has condemned the incident in the strongest terms, calling it a “new low” in security operations in Nigeria.
The union’s leadership, in a separate statement, decried the lack of legal justification for the invasion, comparing it unfavorably to the dark days of military rule when, according to the NLC, its secretariats were never subjected to such invasions.
“This is indeed a very sad day for our democracy,” the statement read. The NLC also raised concerns about the broader implications of the raid, particularly in light of recent incidents where security agents allegedly manhandled protesters across the country, leading to casualties and mass arrests.
The union criticized the “reckless use of ‘treason'” to describe the protests and warned of the deteriorating state of democratic rights in Nigeria.
The NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC), which had earlier condemned the actions of security forces against protesters, was particularly alarmed by the invasion of its headquarters just hours after its meeting.
“What we did not see coming was the invasion of the Labour House by masked and heavily armed security operatives,” the union lamented.
Amid fears that the country is descending into a police state, the NLC called on the international community to take note of the deteriorating democratic principles in Nigeria.
The union cited recent experiences of intimidation, including an alleged attempt on the life of its president by security operatives and thugs, as evidence of an escalating trend of enforced brutality.
In response to the raid, the NLC has directed its staff to stay away from the Labour House until it is confirmed that no incriminating materials or harmful substances were planted by the invading operatives.
The union is also demanding an international inquiry into the “traumatic” invasion.
Furthermore, the NLC has issued an ultimatum for the immediate withdrawal of the security operatives from its premises and the return of all books and materials taken during the raid.
The union stressed that the operation was illegal, as there was no court order authorizing the invasion, ransacking, and looting of its publications.
The NLC has warned that if the harassment continues, it will not hesitate to call on its members to stay home until their safety and security are assured.
The union emphasized that the suppression of public discourse and constructive engagement, especially in the face of the severe hardships Nigerians are currently enduring, would only exacerbate the situation.
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