Fuel subsidy: Police warn labour leaders over protests

The Nigeria Police has warned labour leaders to desist from forcing people to join the ongoing strike action against the Federal Government’s decision to remove subsidy on the price of petrol. Nigerians had largely ignored the strike, which began Wednesday.
The Ekiti State Police Command, yesterday, warned labour leaders against infringing on the right of residents to move freely, threatening to arrest any labour leader that coerces people to sit at home or prevent them from opening their business premises.
The command said the threat by the leadership of the Nigerian Labour
Congress (NLC) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) to disrupt business activities in Ado Ekiti could undermine security and give hoodlums opportunity to wreak havoc on people.
Speaking with reporters in Ado Ekiti, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Etop James, said the command viewed with seriousness the threat by the labour leaders to enforce a sit-at-home order at all costs.
James, who spoke through the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, said security agencies will not tolerate any act of indiscipline or coercion of innocent Nigerians, stressing that people should be given the liberty to associate freely without molestation.
“We are sounding a warning that we won’t allow any acts of illegality.People should not be forced to stay at home when they have lawful businesses to perform. If we find anyone disrupting the peace of the state, such person will be dealt with according to the law,” he warned.
The labour leaders had on Friday visited some banks operating in Ado
Ekiti and forced them to close shop, while also warning traders and commercial drivers and motorcyclists to remain indoors yesterday.
Business was, however, in top gear in Ado Ekiti, the state capital, yesterday, and no labour leader visited any section of the town to make good the threat.
When contacted, the NLC Chairman in Ekiti, Comrade Ade Adesanmi, said they decided, “to suspend the total enforcement threat handed down on Saturday (yesterday) because the issue is politicised. Apart from that, the national headquarters in Abuja has called a meeting for Sunday (today) and I am on my way now. So, we are heeding the call of our leaders and the outcome of the meeting will dictate the next line of action.”
Also, the police in Ebonyi State, yesterday, said it would not condone any protest or demonstration by Labour on without prior approval by the Force.
It said any demonstration must be duly brought to the notice of the Commissioner of Police, Peace Ibekwe Abdallah, in order to avert unlawful gatherings likely to be abused by miscreants.
In a statement, signed by Public Relations Officer, ASP George Okafor, the command denied assaulting Nigeria Labour Congress members during last week’s protest against the fuel hike, insisting that the union failed to obtain permission before it embarked on the march.
Okafor said notice of the planned protest had not reached the police commissioner as at the time of the event, prompting interception by officers, in order to avert breach of the peace.