Security operatives raided the Labour House, headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja's Central Business District, on Wednesday night. According to a statement by NLC spokesperson Benson Upah, the raid began around 8:30 p.m., with the operatives allegedly searching for "seditious materials" related to the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests, which began on August 1.
The protests, initially peaceful, escalated into looting and vandalism in several states. Earlier that day, the NLC's National Executive Council had condemned the heavy-handed tactics of security agents, including mass arrests and the labeling of protesters as "treasonous." Just hours later, masked and heavily armed operatives stormed the NLC building, arrested the guard on duty, and forcibly ransacked the bookshop on the second floor, seizing hundreds of books and publications.
In response, the NLC has instructed its staff to avoid the premises until it can ensure that no incriminating materials or harmful substances were planted by the security forces during the raid. The Congress denounced the invasion, calling it a severe infringement on democratic rights and freedoms.
