FCT police strike as NLC issues an ultimatum for officers to leave the NURTW headquarters

According to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command, personnel have been sent to the NURTW’s national secretariat and headquarters in an effort to stop bloodshed in the wake of the union’s roiling leadership crisis.

Factional groups in the NURTW led by Tajudeen Baruwa and Basiru Agbede reportedly battled over the decision to remove elected officials, according to OBASANJO NEWS24.

The situation prompted the police command to send officers to the area in an effort to break up the brawl and maintain law and order.

However, the Nigeria Labour Congress, or NLC, denounced the facility’s occupation by suspected thugs and police officials on Monday.

In a statement released following its Emergency National Administrative Council meeting in Abuja, the union denounced the Nigeria Police for their alleged role in the facility invasion and accused them of wrongdoing.

The union stressed that it would go on strike if the Federal Government did not step in and reinstate the elected leaders and gave the Nigeria Police 48 hours to depart the NURTW National Secretariat.

In a statement released on Tuesday night in response to the NLC ultimatum, the FCT police argued that the command was merely doing its job by sending officers to the area to safeguard the safety and security of residents.

“The primary duty of the police is to ensure the safety and security of all citizens, and this includes preventing the breakdown of law and order,” the statement says in part.

“The police are required to take preventative actions to protect lives and property in circumstances where there are worries about future violence, disturbance, or conflicts that may turn violent.

“The sending of police officers to the NURTW secretariat is not an intrusion in the Union’s internal affairs.

Instead, it is a preventative measure to head off any potential violence or unlawful actions that might result from disagreements inside the Union.

The leadership conflict between the two parties will not be allowed by the Police to turn into a breakdown of law and order. Additionally, upholding law and order is a constitutional obligation of the Force.

“CP Haruna Garba, Commissioner of Police, appreciates the concerns raised by the NLC and hereby assures that the personnel deployed have been tasked to be professional while performing their duty by upholding the principles of neutrality and human rights.”