According to reports, three executives of the Imo State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) were allegedly apprehended by Imo State Police Command officers. The incident occurred on Wednesday at the Imo State Secretariat while the NLC officials were conducting checks to assess compliance with the two-day nationwide warning strike among state employees.
James Chukwudi, a member of the state NLC Caretaker Committee and the state-designated secretary of the Amalgamated Union of Public Cooperation (AUPCO), accused Raymond Ucheoma, the Imo State Head of Service, of ordering their arrest when he observed them at the secretariat’s entrance. Those detained include himself, the state secretary, Nduka Aniukwuojior, and the state woman leader, Mrs. Margret Ogbujor.
Chukwudi explained, “Monitoring the compliance of the labour union members is customary, and that is what we did. We were arrested when a squad of police officers in a Hilux pulled up next to us at the Imo State Secretariat gate. They drove us to the New Owerri police station. Later, we discovered that the Head of Service had arrested us by calling the police to the secretariat.”
He added, “But everyone is aware that the NLC is conducting a two-day nationwide warning strike, and part of our duty is to keep an eye on participants’ compliance. George Ofoegbu, the Imo State NLC chairman, has contacted the police commissioner. We anticipate being freed soon.”
On the other hand, Imo State Head of Service, Raymond Ucheoma said that those detained had gone beyond their monitoring duties. He accused them of breaking into the secretariat, burglarizing two offices, and extorting money from unsuspecting civil officials.
He stated, “They are impostors passing themselves off as NLC officials. They broke into the secretariat and stole various expensive items, including cash. The employees of two offices were harassed and blackmailed into giving over money. Because it was a criminal act, the Imo State police stormed the secretariat after a tip-off.”
Efforts to contact Henry Okoye, the spokesperson for the Imo State Police Command, were unsuccessful as his phones were turned off.
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