NPF reveals high-profile criminal suspect traced to NLC secretariat

By Kunle Sanni

The Nigeria Police Force has revealed that it tracked a high-profile criminal suspect to a shop within the premises of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) National Secretariat, known as Labour House, located in the Central Business District of Abuja.

The police made this disclosure in a statement on Friday, signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, in response to criticism over an alleged raid on the NLC secretariat in Abuja.

On August 7, a press release issued by the NLC’s Head of Media and Public Relations claimed that officers of the Nigeria Police Force, accompanied by individuals in black T-shirts and plain clothes, had raided Labour House.

However, the police clarified that the operation was solely focused on apprehending a prime suspect—a foreign national implicated in multiple criminal activities across Nigeria and other African countries.

“The Nigeria Police Force wishes to clarify that a prime criminal suspect in an ongoing investigation was traced to a shop within the building in the Central Business District, Abuja. Detectives, armed with the appropriate legal authority, conducted an operation at the location, which turned out to be the NLC building. This well-coordinated, lawful operation was solely aimed at apprehending the prime suspect—a foreign national implicated in numerous criminal activities across Nigeria and other African countries.

“We emphasize that this operation had no connection with the NLC, its Secretariat, staff, or leadership. The NLC Secretariat was not the focus of the operation, which was targeted at a rented shop within the building used by the suspect as a front for his criminal activities in Nigeria.

“The Nigeria Police Force seeks the cooperation and support of the NLC leadership as we continue this investigation, which is vital to safeguarding our nation. The high-profile nature of the suspect poses a significant security threat to Nigeria and other African nations, making this investigation crucial for the safety of all involved, including the NLC.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to upholding the rule of law, maintaining professionalism, and respecting human rights in the discharge of our statutory duties. We also urge Nigerians to remain vigilant and to conduct security profiling of individuals seeking to rent space within their premises,” the statement read.