Police Clear Air On Labour House Invasion
- Say ‘we were targeting a criminal’
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has explained the rationale behind given its now controversial search operation at Labour House headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The Force made the clarification against the backdrop of reports that went viral about some masked security operatives in black shirts storming the Labour House on Wednesday night.
A statement issued on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Muyiwa Adejobi, said the NLC was not the target of the operation but an individual who has a shop within Labour House and is wanted for his “criminal” activities.
According to him; “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 Nigeria Police Force seeks the cooperation and support of the NLC leadership as we continue this investigation, which is vital to safeguarding our nation.
“The high-profile nature of the suspect poses a significant security threat to Nigeria and other African nations, making this investigation crucial for the safety of all involved, including the NLC.”
It was reported that the officers were in search of sponsors of the #EndBadGovernance and hunger protest and in the process carted away books and some other items belonging to the Labour movement.
In the aftermath of the raid, the NLC described the act as “condemnable”, even as it gave the Police authorities an ultimatum to return the books.
