TheCable

Thugs attacked members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) during a protest in Kaduna on Tuesday.

According to NAN, the thugs were armed with knives, sticks and stones.

They were said to have been quickly dispersed by the police and other security agencies deployed to protect the protesters.

Some of the thugs were also arrested by the police.

Daniel John, one of the protesters, described the incident as “very unfortunate”, adding that although no one was injured, they were forced to suspend the procession for the day.

“We were at NEPA roundabout and about to be addressed by our chairman, when the heavily armed thugs in their numbers arrived and began to wield knives and sticks while others throw stones at us,” he said.

“We were lucky security personnel were with us, who engaged the thugs and manage to disperse them and arrest some of them.”

On Monday, the labour unions began a five-day warning strike over the sack of civil servants by the Kaduna state government.

Ayuba Suleiman, NLC chairman in the state, had said the labour unions were committed to the principle of dialogue and social bargaining for the benefit of disengaged workers in the state.

Suleiman had assured workers and the general public of their commitment to maintain peace during the strike action.