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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the “ill-treatment” of activist and publisher, Omoyele Sowore, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Federal High Court in Abuja, describing the agency’s conduct as intimidating, unnecessary and embarrassing.
In a statement issued yesterday, NLC President Joe Ajaero, expressed concern over what he described as a rowdy scene created by DSS personnel while taking Sowore into custody, saying the incident fell short of the professionalism expected of the country’s secret service.
According to Ajaero, the alleged mass intimidation and humiliation of Sowore were unwarranted and projected an image inconsistent with the sophistication and restraint expected from a security institution of the DSS’s stature.
The labour leader also raised concerns about the role played by the DSS in the case, arguing that the agency appeared to have assumed responsibilities beyond its constitutional mandate.
Ajaero noted that matters of prosecution are ordinarily handled by the Ministry of Justice through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation, warning against situations where a security agency is perceived as both accuser and jailer.
He further cautioned that when institutions prioritise the protection of individuals or governments over the broader interests of the state, they risk undermining democratic principles and the rule of law.
Citing instances with the Watergate scandal in the United States, Ajaero stressed the importance of strong institutions in sustaining democracy, noting that excessive efforts by public institutions to curry favour with political leaders could weaken democratic governance.
He urged security agencies to respect the rights of citizens and operate strictly within the bounds of the law, emphasizing that democracy thrives when institutions remain independent, professional and accountable.
The NLC president concluded by calling on all state institutions to uphold constitutional principles and ensure that the rights of individuals are protected in the administration of justice.
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“We are appalled by the conduct of the DSS at the Federal High Court, Abuja while taking into custody Mr. Omoyele Sowore.
“The rowdy scene, bullish behaviour, the mass intimidation by the personnel and the humiliation of Sowore were totally unnecessary and embarrassing to an organisation that carries with it a certain level of sophistication or elegance.
“We are opposed to this kind of drama by our Secret Service as there was no need for it. Who were they re-enacting this for, anyway?
“Beyond this, we are worried by the interest of the DSS in this matter and the way it has prosecuted it as the accuser and the jailer.
“We have the Ministry of Justice or, precisely, the Attorney General of the Federation to care for matters of this nature.
“It is saddening to note that the DSS has taken upon itself a role that portrays it as an ingratiatiating àgency, a departure from the one vested on it by the constitution that empowers it to monitor all (including Mr President) and act in a manner (through pre-emption or otherwise) to preserve the state or its interest.
“When the DSS go into an overdrive to protect an individual or government at the expense of the state or a party presumed to be innocent until found guilty by a competent court of jurisdiction, that will be at variance with their oath of office.
“The Nigerian State is superior to all individuals or governments and the DSS ought to know the difference. There could be no better illustration of this credo than when through the diligence of two journalists and American secret service, a sitting President, Richard Nixon was compelled to resign from office over the Watergate scandal in 1976.
“We need strong institutions and not strong individuals for our democracy to survive. Strong individuals constitute a threat to democracy anywhere. When we as institutions outbid one another to please Mr President, we are unwittingly jeopardising our democracy.”
