Army Dismisses NLC’s Allegation on Surrounding Meeting Venue as Misleading

The Nigerian Army has refuted claims made by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) regarding the presence of soldiers at the venue of an ongoing meeting with the government. The NLC had alleged that soldiers surrounded the meeting location, creating tension during discussions.

In a post on its official X handle on Monday, the Army Headquarters clarified that the soldiers in question were actually the military escorts of the National Security Advisor (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who was also attending the meeting. The Army emphasized that these escorts are statutorily approved and were there solely to accompany the NSA.

“The attention of Army Headquarters has been drawn to a false breaking news by NLC alleging that soldiers currently surround the venue of the ongoing meeting between NLC and the SGF,” the statement read. “Kindly note that the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, who is also attending the meeting, arrived at the meeting venue with his retinue of statutorily approved military escorts. Once the meeting is over, the escorts will lead the NSA from the venue.”

The Army urged the public to disregard what it termed as a deliberate and misleading falsehood about the presence of military personnel at the meeting.

The NLC had earlier raised concerns, suggesting that the presence of soldiers was an intimidation tactic amidst crucial negotiations with the federal government over the minimum wage. The Army’s clarification aims to dispel these allegations and ensure that the nature of the soldiers’ presence is correctly understood.