The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied allegations that its personnel raided the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters in Abuja.
The denial comes in response to claims made by the NLC on Wednesday, alleging that secret police operatives invaded their office and took away certain documents.
According to the NLC, the alleged raid occurred around 8:30 PM when security operatives, including those from the Nigeria Police Force and individuals presumed to be DSS personnel, reportedly entered the Labour House.
The union claimed that the operatives arrested a security officer on duty, broke into offices on the 10th and 2nd floors, and ransacked a bookshop, seizing hundreds of books and other publications.
The NLC stated that the operatives claimed they were searching for seditious materials related to the #EndBadGovernance protests.
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In a statement, the NLC’s Head of Media and Public Relations, Benson Upah, condemned the incident, calling it “a new low in security operations in Nigeria.”
Upah emphasized that even during the military era, NLC secretariats were never invaded in such a manner, describing the incident as a sad day for democracy.
However, in a statement issued on Thursday, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya clarified that the DSS had no involvement in the alleged raid.
“Good morning dear friends. Please kindly note that the Service (DSS) did not carry out any operation at the NLC office in Abuja,” Afunanya said in a brief statement on the agency’s social media handle.