By Milcah Tanimu
The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied allegations that its personnel conducted a raid on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters in Abuja. This denial comes in response to claims made by the NLC on Wednesday, asserting that secret police operatives had invaded their office and seized certain documents.
According to reports from the NLC, the alleged raid occurred around 8:30 PM, with security operatives, including members of the Nigeria Police Force and individuals believed to be from the DSS, storming the Labour House. The union stated that the operatives detained the security guard on duty and forced him to lead them to the second floor, where they broke into offices and ransacked a bookshop, reportedly confiscating hundreds of books and publications. The NLC accused the operatives of searching for seditious materials related to the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The NLC condemned the incident, expressing outrage over what they described as an unlawful invasion of their premises. Benson Upah, the NLC’s head of Media and Public Relations, issued a statement decrying the actions as a serious affront to democracy, noting that even during the military rule, such invasions were unheard of at NLC secretariats.
Despite these accusations, the DSS has firmly denied any involvement in the incident. In a statement released on Thursday, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya clarified that the agency did not carry out any operation at the NLC office. “Good morning dear friends. Please kindly note that the Service (DSS) did not carry out any operation at the NLC office in Abuja,” Afunanya stated in a brief message on the agency’s X handle.
