Some eminent Nigerians and the civil society organisations have condemned the invasion of the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) by security agents on Wednesday night.
Reacting to the news of the invasion of the NLC headquarters, the former Vice President of Nigeria, Abubakar Atiku, said that whoever ordered the invasion by men believed to be a combined team of security officials should be held accountable.
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections, said that such clandestine raids on civil liberties had no place in a democracy.
Speaking through his Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, he said: “The invasion of the national secretariat of the NLC, by persons believed to be security operatives, whether singly or as a combined team, stands condemned.
“The practice of such raids without a valid court order and in the wee hours of the day reflects the current administration’s desire to hold on to the vestiges of military dictatorship which the NLC, civil society and the media fought so hard to end and birth the democratic rule we enjoy today.
“Events of the last couple of weeks have shown this administration’s growing obsession with militarization of our polity.
“They are trying to suppress civil liberties and silence the media. Just the other day, they had protesters shot at and some killed for daring to protest the hardships this administration’s policies have unleashed on the people.
“This administration must be told in clear terms that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria and those who do not share the same views with government must be allowed to air their views.’’
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, also condemned the raid, while Amnesty International, International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC, lawyers and civil society organisations., CSOs also condemned the action of the security agents.
In its reaction to the raid, the NLC called for an international inquiry into the invasion, describing the development as dangerous to the nation’s democracy.
The NLC’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Benson Upah, said the labour movement had already directed all employees to stay away from office.
“We are still shocked by the invasion. First, all staff of the Congress stayed away from the office as directed by the leadership. We cannot yet fathom the reason or reasons for the invasion.
‘’Since last night, we have been receiving calls from across the globe, including our affiliates to express their disbelief and outrage over the invasion. They said not even under military dictatorship did such a thing happen.
“We understand that the Department of State Services, DSS, has denied involvement. Who did it, alongside the uniformed policemen that invaded and ransacked the Labour House? We are in dangerous times in Nigeria. From what is happening, everybody is threatened. This is all I can say for now,” he said.
GIK/APA