The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the police of taking sides in the crisis within the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW). The NLC claimed that democratically elected leaders of the NURTW were being detained while others involved in the crisis had been discreetly released.
In a statement by its Acting President, Kabiru Minjibir, the NLC expressed concern over the violence at the NURTW’s national secretariat and the police’s handling of the matter. The NLC called for the prompt release of the detained union leaders and urged the police to conduct a fair investigation into the violence.
The Federal Capital Territory police command denied allegations of bias in its arrest of individuals involved in the NURTW crisis, stating that arrests were made based on charges of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, and public disturbance. The police said they were not taking sides and were deployed to restore peace during the riot.
The NURTW has been plagued by leadership crises and violence in various parts of Nigeria, and the recent events have raised concerns about the role of law enforcement agencies in resolving these conflicts.