Civil Society Organizations, on Thursday, condemned the invasion of the Nigeria Labour Congress headquarters by security operatives, describing the incident as a desperate attempt to silence Nigerians.
The invasion, which occurred Wednesday night, has been widely criticized, saying it’s a return to dictatorial tactics.
Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Head of Transparency International (TI) Nigeria, and Chair of the Board of Trustees of Amnesty International Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, said the government’s actions targeted the wrong people and prioritized personal vendettas over addressing critical issues affecting the nation.
Rafsanjani added that the actions of the security agencies undermined President Tinubu, making him unpopular with Nigerians and the international community.
He said, “It is really sad and unfortunate that the people who should be targeted are not the ones being targeted. We have terrorists, bandits, and criminal looters who should be raided, but the federal government appears to be prioritizing the use of security agencies to carry out personal vendettas.
“They need to explain in full detail why the NLC headquarters was invaded when there is serious insecurity in the country, orchestrated and sponsored by criminal elements whose houses should be raided.
“It’s a shame that those who are demanding that the right things be done are being attacked. It is simply a misapplication of power and shows the desperation of some leaders to continue silencing Nigerians from expressing their concerns about the state of the nation.
“Lastly, the security agencies are actually undermining President Tinubu. They are making him unpopular with Nigerians as well as with the international community. They are inciting him against the people and undermining his administration. Whoever suggested the invasion of the NLC national office does not have President Tinubu’s best interests at heart. However, let the President rise to the occasion and save his image and that of his government.”
Executive Director of the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education, Dr. Zikirullahi Ibrahim, warned that the country is almost returning to a full-blown dictatorship, with the government using iron-fist tactics to suppress dissenting voices.
He deplored government’s hypocrisy in calling for dialogue while clamping down on dissenting voices.
Zikirullahi said, “We are almost returning to a full-blown dictatorship. The invasion of the NLC national office is reminiscent of our experiences during the dark days of military dictatorship in our nation’s history.
“It’s unfortunate that the President is not even pretending to have learned much from the military days. He wants to use an iron fist to treat issues that could have been better resolved through dialogue.
“On the one hand, he is calling for dialogue with Nigerians, while on the other hand, he is authorizing the security agencies to hunt down and clamp down on Nigerians who are expressing their grievances over some of his policies.
“Even on the day, he made the national broadcast, the DSS and other security agencies went on a rampage against protesters who were demanding that his administration do better to alleviate the plight of the masses, tagging those arrested on the day of his broadcast as ringleaders or sponsors.
“For CHRICED, if President Tinubu feels that it is through violence he hopes to solve the hunger problem, we are watching to see what will become of it in the end. But he must remember that even in the dark days of the military, the people could not be suppressed.”
