DSS denies ‘raiding’ NLC headquarters in Abuja

The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied raiding the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja.

On Wednesday night, security agents raided the Labour House in the Central Business District of Abuja.

Benson Upah, spokesperson of the NLC, said in a statement that the “invading troop claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGovernance protests”.

Nigerians have taken to the streets since August 1 to rail against soaring inflation and the country’s worst cost of living crisis in decades.

The protest turned violent in some parts of the country, resulting in the looting and vandalisation of properties.

Upah said the invasion of the NLC building in Abuja began at about 8:30pm.

The statement said the operatives arrested the NLC guard on duty “and then commandeered him to the second floor where he was asked to produce the keys to the offices. When he told them he had no such keys on him, they broke into the floor and ransacked the bookshop on the 2nd floor, carting away hundreds of books and other publications”.

The NLC said it has directed its staff to stay away from the building until it is certain that there are no incriminating materials or harmful substances “dropped in our offices by the invading operatives”.

Labour also said there is a deterioration of democratic principles in Nigeria, and that there are attempts to turn the country into a police state.

Reacting to the development, the DSS, in a statement on its official X page on Thursday, denied being part of the raid.

“Please kindly note that the Service (DSS) did not carry out any operation at the NLC office in Abuja,” the DSS said.