The police leadership is skimping on the truth, according to leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), who have dismissed the police account for the Wednesday night raid on the NLC headquarters in Abuja, known as Labour House.
Leaders of the NLC requested yesterday at the emergency National Executive Council, or NEC, that the Federal Government provide complete transparency over the police invasion.
At a virtual NEC meeting, congressional leaders described the invasion as extremely provocative and argued that the next course of action will depend on the government’s explanation.
One of the NEC members, who spoke with a reporter at the end of the meeting, among others, stated that “NEC members were unanimous in rejecting the police explanation for the raid.
“We believe that the cops are being economical with the truth. None of the police explanations made sense. Attempting to rationalise it only raises additional questions.
In their statement, the police said they were unaware that the facility served as the NLC’s headquarters.
Lie number one: The police headquarters are near to the Labour House. They have deployed their soldiers to the Labour House on various occasions, including strikes, protests, and rallies.
“Lie number two: The police said they were looking for someone on the second floor of the Labour House.” However, they initially went to the 10th level and abducted the NLC security guard. When they had completed their illicit actions, they transported the security guard to the second floor. What were the cops looking for on the tenth floor?
“Lie number three: The bookshop on the second floor known as ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ has existed in the Labour House for years, and the operator is well-known even to the police, as some of them come there to buy books. “Why is it now that the police recognise him as a criminal and a threat to the state?”Why will the police conduct their raid at such an hour when most workers have gone home? These are some of the questions that beg for answers.
“We are demanding full explanation and disclosure from government.”The raid was highly inflammatory. We will not act now; according to NEC decisions, we will wait for the administration to provide a thorough explanation. We reject the police statement and demand a comprehensive explanation from the government for the raid.
Final Thoughts
The timing of the raid, conducted after hours when most workers had gone home, raises questions about the intent behind the operation.
The NLC’s skepticism is fueled by these circumstances, leading to suspicions that the raid was not simply a routine police action but rather a deliberate attempt to target the union.
