The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has explained that its invasion and search operation at Labour House, headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja including its library, was because it was “targeting a criminal.”
Masked policemen in black shirts had stormed the Labour House on Wednesday night in search of sponsors of the #EndBadGovernance protests but allegedly ended up carting away books and some other items from the NLC library.
The NLC which described the act as condemnable had given the police an ultimatum to return the books.
But on Friday, Muyiwa Adejobi, Force Spokesperson, said in a statement that the NLC was not the target of the operation but an individual who has a shop within Labour House for his “criminal” activities.
According to Adejobi: “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.
“The Nigeria Police Force seeks the cooperation and support of the NLC leadership as we continue this investigation, which is vital to safeguarding our nation.
“The high-profile nature of the suspect poses a significant security threat to Nigeria and other African nations, making this investigation crucial for the safety of all involved, including the NLC.”