Strike: Police Warns NLC, TUC Against Protesting

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has warned the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) over their planned nationwide protest.

NLC and TUC had scheduled Monday, September 28, 2020, to protest the recent increase in electricity tariff and petrol price.

Recall that the National Industrial Court in Abuja had on Thursday granted an order of interim injunction restraining the unions from disrupting, restraining, picketing or preventing the workers or ordinary Nigerians from accessing their offices to carry out their legitimate duties on September 28, 2020, or any other date.

Justice Ibrahim Galadima, who also issued an interim order restraining the labour unions from embarking on the strike action, gave the ruling following an ex parte application filed by a group, Peace and Unity Ambassadors Association, through their counsel, Sunusi Musa.

Barely 24 hours after the ruling, the judge on Friday issued another order restraining the unions from going ahead with the strike, following an ex parte application by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

But despite two court injunctions restraining the unions and their affiliates from proceeding with the strike, the labour unions insisted they would go ahead with the strike.

Speaking to The Punch on Saturday, Force spokesperson, DCP Frank Mba, said the police would be guided by the position of the law on the matter.

“What does the law say in this circumstance? We would enforce the law. That is the only thing I can say,” he said.