Security operatives suspected to be from the Department of State Services (DSS) raided the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) amid allegations that organized labour sponsored the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests.
According to reports, the operatives stormed the building late at night, after most staff had left.
A private security guard at the site confirmed to a labour leader that masked operatives armed with rifles arrived around 10 p.m. and initially targeted the 10th floor, where the office of NLC President Joe Ajaero is located.
They later proceeded to the second floor, where other NLC offices are housed.
NLC in a post on its X, formerly Twitter account, confirmed the raid.
It wrote, “Armed Security men both in uniform and mufty just invaded the Labour house in their numbers and were at the 10th floor and 2nd floor.
“The broke into 2nd floor and ransacked books at the bookshop carrying all the material into their vans claiming the materials were used to incite and organise the recent protest.”
Efforts to get official reaction from the Department of State Services (DSS) proved abortive as calls to the spokesman of the secret police, Peter Afunanya rang out.
He was yet to reply to a text message sent to him as at when filing this report at about 11:15pm on Wednesday.
The raids come in the wake of protests that erupted on August 1st in several states and the Federal Capital Territory against the rising cost of living.
The protests escalated when calls for regime change emerged, with Russian flags being flown in parts of the country.
In response, President Bola Tinubu summoned security chiefs to address threats to democracy and ordered a crackdown on individuals involved in the unrest.
This directive led to raids and numerous arrests by the DSS and other security agencies.
