By Special Correspondent.
Three executive members of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Imo state chapter, have been reportedly arrested by the operatives of Imo state police.
The NLC officials, according to report, were arrested at the Imo state Secretariat on Wednesday while monitoring the level of compliance by the state civil servants on the two-day nationwide warning strike.
Comrade James Chukwudi, the state NLC caretaker committee member and the state assigned secretary of Amalgamated Union of Public Cooperation. (AUPCO), who spoke to our reporter accused the Imo state Head of Service, Raymond Ucheoma, to have effected their arrest on sighting them at the gate of the secretariat.
He listed the arrested NLC executive members to include himself, the state secretary, Comrade Nduka Aniukwuojior and the state Woman Leader, Mrs. Margret Ogbujor.
“It is normal to monitor the compliance of the labour union members and that was what we did. We were at the Imo state Secretariat gate when a team of policemen on hilux stopped and arrested us. They took us to the police station in New Owerri.
“It was later that we learned that the Head of Service effected our arrest by inviting the police to the secretariat.
“But everybody knows the NLC is on a two-day nationwide warning strike, and part of our job is to monitor the level of compliance of the people involved.
“The Imo state NLC chairman, Comrade George Ofoegbu, has reached out to the Commissioner of Police. We hope to be released soon.”
But on the contrary, the Imo state Head of Service, Raymond Ucheoma, who spoke to our correspondent said those arrested went beyond the limit of mere monitoring, accusing them of invading the secretariat and looting two offices and extorting money from unsuspecting civil servants.
He added, “they are impostors parading themselves as NLC officials. They invaded the secretariat and carted away some valuables including money. Two offices were looted and workers harassed and extorted of their money.
“So the Imo state police, on getting such tip, stormed the secretariat and arrested them because it is a criminal act.”
Meanwhile, efforts to reach the Imo police Spokesman, Henry Okoye, proved abortive as his phone lines were unreachable as at the time of filing this report.
