The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), has condemned the recent invasion of the Labour House, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters in Abuja, by security operatives.
On Thursday evening, the NLC reported a raid at its headquarters, during which officials confiscated books from its library under the guise of searching for materials connected to the “End Bad Governance” campaign.
In a statement released on Friday and signed by its President, Festus Osifo, the TUC condemned the raid as a breach of fundamental rights, including the rights to freedom of speech and expression.
He contended that the raid represented an overreach by security forces, compromising the democratic principles that uphold peaceful dissent and the right to access information.
Osifo urged the Federal Government to initiate a prompt and comprehensive investigation into the incident. Additionally, he requested that those responsible for authorising and conducting the operation return all confiscated materials to the NLC library and provide a justification for their actions.
The TUC President stressed the need for Nigerians to have confidence that their rights are protected and that security agencies operate within the legal framework established by the Constitution.
“We consider this invasion a direct attack on the rights of Nigerian citizens to freely express their views and to access information,” he stated.
By Adanna Nnamani-The SUN
