Why we raided office inside NLC headquarters – Police

The police have admitted that police operatives raided an office inside the NLC headquarters building in Abuja.

The police, however, said the labour union was not the target of the raid.

“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,” police spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi wrote.

“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.”

PREMIUM TIMES reported the Wednesday night raid, which the labour union condemned and blamed on police operatives and suspected officials of the State Security Service (SSS).

The SSS, however, denied any role in the raid.

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The police claim that it raided only a private facility in the building tallies with PREMIUM TIMES findings on Thursday.

The part of the building raided was on the second floor of the multi-storey building owned by the labour union. It is believed to house a private bookshop owned by a foreigner.

NLC officials, however, insisted that the raid was an affront on the union as the bookshop is housed in the union’s building.

Details later…