**Amnesty International** has issued a strong condemnation following the recent invasion of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters by personnel from the Nigeria Police and the Department of State Services (DSS). This raid, conducted late Wednesday night, is perceived by the human rights organization as an attempt to intimidate and suppress the labour union.
In a statement released on Thursday via its X account, Amnesty International criticized the actions of the security forces, who were reported to have aggressively searched the NLC office. The personnel purportedly seized books and materials from the NLC bookshop, alleging they were used to organize and incite the recent #EndBadGovernance protests.
Amnesty International’s statement read: “We strongly condemn the brazen invasion of the Nigeria Labour Congress headquarters by armed security personnel. The raid appears to be a calculated and sinister attempt to intimidate the labour union. During this unlawful operation, the security forces ransacked the bookshop and confiscated materials they claimed were used to incite the protests.”
The organization has expressed grave concerns about the safety and well-being of NLC officials in light of these actions.
In response to the invasion, the NLC has labeled the incident as a blow to democracy. Benson Upah, the NLC’s Head of Media and Public Relations, described the raid as deeply troubling. According to Upah, the security personnel forcibly entered the building, breaking into the bookshop on the second floor and seizing hundreds of books and other publications. The operatives did not present any legal documents authorizing the raid and acted in an unlawful manner.
Upah commented: “The Nigeria Labour Congress condemns this new low in security operations. Even during the darkest days of military rule, NLC offices were never subjected to such invasions. This incident marks a sad day for our democracy.”
The raid underscores growing concerns about the state of democratic freedoms and the role of security agencies in Nigeria.
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