The Nigeria Police Force has taken action to seal off the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) office in Lagos State, aiming to prevent the planned nationwide protest against hunger and hardship.
Activist and national coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign (ERC), Hasssan Taiwo, disclosed this development on Monday morning through his X handle. He shared images showing armed police personnel stationed in front of the NLC headquarters in the Yaba area of Lagos State.
Taiwo stated, “@PoliceNG has sealed off the NLC subheadquarter at Yaba Lagos to prevent the JAF & CORE #EndHungerProtest from taking place. A few comrades are sealed off in the building.”
The protest, initially scheduled for February 27 and 28, was announced by the NLC to address economic challenges in the country following a 14-day ultimatum issued to the government.
However, both the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, (SAN), have urged the NLC to shelve its proposed nationwide protest.
Likewise, the Trade Union Congress cautioned that the planned protest spearheaded by the NLC might lead to anarchy given the tense situation in the country amid current hardships and prevailing hunger.
The government warned that proceeding with the planned protest would amount to contempt of court. Nonetheless, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, addressed a letter to Fagbemi, asserting that the NLC would not be in contempt of court over its planned nationwide protest.
In the letter dated February 24, 2024, and directed to Fagbemi, Falana stated, “We submit, without any fear of contradiction, that the proposed public protest of the NLC is not contemptuous of the two ex parte orders of the National Industrial Court. In particular, the issue of contempt does not arise as the NLC has challenged the jurisdiction of the National Industrial Court to entertain the substantive case.”
