The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed that it conducted a raid on the second floor of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Complex in Abuja last Wednesday in search of documents allegedly linked to a suspect described as an international “subversive” element posing a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
In a statement made during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Monday, Force spokesperson Muyiwa Adejobi clarified the circumstances surrounding the August 7, 2024, operation.
He emphasized that the raid targeted the second floor of the building, where the suspect was reportedly housed by the labour union, and not the 10th floor where the NLC headquarters is located.
“We recovered evidence to prove that the suspect is a threat to the nation, the man is a suspected subversive element,” Adejobi stated.
The raid, which the NLC described as an invasion by heavily armed security personnel around 8:30 pm, has sparked widespread condemnation from local and international rights groups, including Amnesty International. These groups criticized the operation, expressing concerns over the implications for civil liberties and the potential intimidation of labor unions.
However, Adejobi defended the action, asserting that the police had established a landlord-tenant relationship between the NLC and the suspect, whom they claim is part of a global syndicate. Adejobi noted that several members of this syndicate have already been arrested.
He dismissed any connection between the raid and the recent #EndBadGovernance nationwide protests, insisting that the police were solely focused on the suspect. The police spokesman also mentioned that the NLC would be involved in the ongoing forensic investigation due to the suspect’s alleged multiple foreign identities, including claims of being Russian and British.
“The NLC is not the suspect here. We had a target and whatever it takes, we must get him at all means,” Adejobi stated, adding that the suspect is known to travel frequently out of Nigeria.
Adejobi further elaborated that the objective of the raid was not to apprehend the suspect at that moment but to secure incriminating evidence, which the police have successfully obtained. He accused the suspect of engaging in “subversion” and posing a serious threat to Nigeria’s stability.
“We have (uncovered) plans that people want to run down Nigeria. We have (uncovered) plans that people want to destroy our democracy, destroy our common heritage called Nigeria, and we cannot keep quiet…We are getting enough help and we will get this man,” Adejobi affirmed.
The police have not disclosed the identity of the suspect, and the investigation is reportedly ongoing.