Lagos State Police Command has denied the reports claiming it sealed the secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Yaba on Monday.
The State Police Command Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed this in a statement via his X on Monday.
Hundeyin stated this in reaction to a tweet @HTsoweto who wrote, “Police has sealed off d NLC subheadquarter at Yaba Lagos to prevent d JAF & CORE #EndHungerProtest from taking place.
“A few comrades are sealed off in the building and do not know what lies in store for them. Please let’s retweet”
While responding, Hundeyin said Commissioner of Police Adegoke Fayoade only went to the NLC secretariat to address protesters.
The police spokesperson wrote, “This is definitely not true. The Police proactively arrived at the scene to ensure adequate security for Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and prevent their procession from being hijacked by hoodlums.
“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, CP Adegoke Fayoade, addressed the protesters before their procession took off in his presence.
“The procession has so far been peaceful without any untoward incident.
“What can be seen in the picture is CP Fayoade, addressing the joint security team and charging them to be professional, courteous but firm.
“The Commissioner of Police, Mr Fayoade addressed the protesters before the procession took off in his presence.
“The procession was peaceful and without any untoward incident,” Hundeyin said, adding that CP Fayoade monitored the security operation and the protest, ” he said.
Hundeyin equally noted that the protesters neither caused traffic obstruction nor got involved in violent activities.
Heavily armed police operatives were seen at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, and other parts of Lagos on Monday, in readiness for a planned protest by organised labour.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress had scheduled a strike action across the state for February 27 and 28 to protest what they described hardship currently confronting Nigerians.
The organized Labour pointed out that the hardship was inflicted on Nigerians following the hike in prices of goods and services consequent upon the removal of fuel subsidy and the free fall of the naira.
The TUC, however, pulled out of the scheduled protest on Saturday.
The police spokesperson stated that the police proactively arrived at the NLC secretariat and other hotspots to ensure adequate security for planners of the strike and to prevent their procession from being hijacked by hoodlums.
