Why we raided office inside NLC headquarters – Police

The police have admitted that police operatives raided an office inside the NLC headquarters building in Abuja.

The police, however, said the labour union was not the target of the raid.

“The Nigeria Police Force wishes to clarify that a prime criminal suspect in an ongoing investigation was traced to a shop within the building in the Central Business District, Abuja,” police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi wrote.

“Detectives, armed with the appropriate legal authority, conducted an operation at the location, which turned out to be the NLC building. This well-coordinated, lawful operation was solely aimed at apprehending the prime suspect—a foreign national implicated in numerous criminal activities across Nigeria and other African countries.

“We emphasise that this operation had no connection with the NLC, its Secretariat, staff, or leadership. The NLC Secretariat was not the focus of the operation, which was targeted at a rented shop within the building used by the suspect as a front for his criminal activities in Nigeria.”

The Wednesday night raid, condemned by the labour union was blamed on police operatives and suspected officials of the State Security Service (SSS).

The SSS, however, denied any role in the raid.

The police claim that it raided only a private facility in the building.  The part of the building raided was on the second floor of the multi-story building owned by the labour union. It is believed to house a private bookshop owned by a foreigner.

NLC officials had insisted that the raid was an affront to the union as the bookshop is housed in the union’s building.

NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja on Thursday said that the raid occurred shortly after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting the previous day, expressed concerns about the SSS’s focus on the 10th floor.

He explained that the security operatives came after they had left the NEC meeting and held the security guard at gunpoint.

“They came at night after we had left. The security guard was held at gunpoint and forced to open the tenant’s office on the 2nd floor,” he said.

Ugboaja said that NLC staff were now apprehensive about returning to work because of the raid.