- * Police Clarifies Mission of Operatives At Workers Headquarters
By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-Chief) @CelestineOkaf11
The Nigeria Police Force has has described as false news reports alleging that it's officers raided the Labour House, Central Business District, Abuja, National Secretariat of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
A statement on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, by the NLC’s Head of Media and Public Relations alleged that officers of the Nigeria Police Force, along with some individuals in black T-shirts and others in plain clothes, raided the Labour House.
The Department of State Services (DSS) was insinuated in the trending reports of deploying it's officers to join in carrying out the alleged raid.
But in a swift reaction to the media insinuation, spokesman of the DSS, Dr Peter Nnochirionye Afunnanya, in a one sentence statement a day after (Thursday), dissociated the nation's spy agency from participating in the said raid, stating thus: "Good morning dear friends. Pls kindly note that the Service (DSS) did not carry out any operation at the NLC office in Abuja".
Afunnanya's exculpation of the DSS however put the police on the spot, prompting a clarification from the police on its ractual ole in the whole raid saga of the Labour Secretariat at mid-week.
An Assistant Commissioner of Police and Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in counter statement on Friday, August 9, 2024, that 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.
"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 emphasize 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.
"The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to upholding the rule of law, maintaining professionalism, and respecting human rights in the discharge of our statutory duties. We also urge Nigerians to remain vigilant and to conduct security profiling of individuals seeking to rent space within their premises", Adejobi stated. NNL.
