Police did not seal the secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in Yaba, Lagos, on Monday as rumoured, police spokesman in Lagos State, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, has said.
Hundeyin told NAN that Commissioner of Police Adegoke Fayoade only went to the NLC secretariat to address protesters.
He was reacting to the rumour and giving reasons for heightened security upgrades in hotspots around Lagos on Monday.
Heavily armed police operatives were seen at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, and other parts of Lagos on Monday, in readiness for a planned protest by organised labour.
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress, TUC had scheduled a nationwide strike for February 27 and 28 to protest what they called hardship currently faced by Nigerians.
They charged that the hardship was inflicted on Nigerians following the hike in prices of goods and services consequent upon the removal of fuel subsidy and the free fall of the naira.
The TUC, however, pulled out of the scheduled protest on Saturday.
Hundeyin told NAN that the police proactively arrived at the NLC secretariat and other hotspots to ensure adequate security for planners of the strike and to prevent their procession from being hijacked by hoodlums.
“The Commissioner of Police, Mr Fayoade addressed the protesters before the procession took off in his presence.
“The procession was peaceful and without any untoward incident,” Hundeyin said, adding that CP Fayoade monitored the security operation and the protest, ” he said.
He stated also that the protesters neither caused traffic obstruction nor got involved in violent activities.