Armed thugs have on Tuesday disrupted the peaceful protest of members of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in Kaduna State.
The protesters were marching around the NEPA roundabout in Kaduna metropolis when some thugs arrived in vehicles and tricycles and started throwing stones at the protesters.
Read Also: NLC Commence 5-Day Strike Over Sack Of Members With Protest (Videos)
Some of the thugs reportedly covered their faces as they wielded knives and sticks.
“They came in car and started throwing stones on the workers protesting. People started running but the workers were able to chase them away,” an eye witness told Daily Trust.
Journalists and some other persons around fled the area, while it is not clear who sent the thugs to disrupt the protest.
Police and other security personnel guarding the protesters were however able to repel the thugs with tear gas and one of them was later nabbed by the protesting workers and handed over to the Police.
Although, it is yet to be ascertained who sent the thugs to disrupt the protest, NLC president, Ayuba Wabba while speaking with Channels Television amid the protest said he informed the DSS after he received earlier information of the plan to disrupt the protest.
He stated;
Today is a very sad moment in the history of democracy in Nigeria. Early in the morning today, we got credible information that El-Rufai has hired one Alhaji Hassan and some thugs to come and attack us. While we are here, they came but thank God we have chased them away because we have the number. We are not thugs And We Are Not Using Thugs we are Nigerian workers.
NLC started a five-day warning strike in Kaduna State from Monday, which disrupted activities in the capital and other parts of the state.
Some of the grievances of the protesters include the recent sack of 7,000 local government workers and refusal of the state government to settle the entitlements of about 50,000 workers it disengaged from service from 2017 to date.
Reacting to this, Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Tuesday declared Wabba and other leaders of the NLC wanted for alleged sabotage.
Read Also: Gov El-Rufai Declares NLC President, Ayuba Wabba Wanted, Promises ‘Handsome’ Reward
However, fellow governors elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress like on Tuesday appealed to Kaduna governor to engage the unions in dialogue with a view to ending the strike and stopping the hardship it has brought on residents of the state.
Watch a video from the scene of the incident below;
Kaduna Workers’ Protest: Thugs Attack NLC Members pic.twitter.com/QYY1UT8cTB
— Channels Television (@channelstv) May 18, 2021
