Lagos State Police command has denied a report of sealing the secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Yaba, Lagos, on Monday.
State’s Police spokesman, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, described the report as rumour, saying the Commissioner of Police Adegoke Fayoade only went to the NLC secretariat to address protesters.
The police spokesman stated this in reaction to the rumour, and giving reasons for heightened security upgrades in hotspots around Lagos on Monday.
Hundeyin told newsmen 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.
“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.
He stated 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, TUC had scheduled a nationwide strike for February 27 and 28 to protest what they called hardship currently faced by Nigerians.
