The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the Edo State Government of orchestrating a night operation in Benin City that allegedly resulted in the arrest and assault of electricity workers, leaving the state chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), William Uwumarogie, hospitalised.
The congress said Uwumarogie and other union members arrested during the operation on Thursday, October 22, had since been released, but the NUEE chairman was receiving medical treatment for injuries allegedly sustained during the incident.
The allegations were contained in an NLC statement dated October 23, 2026, titled “Edo Government Bringing Shame to Nigeria!” and signed by the acting general secretary of the congress, Benson Upah.
According to the NLC, the operation took place at the headquarters of the Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) on Akpakpava Road, where workers were allegedly apprehended while protecting their livelihoods amid an ongoing industrial dispute.
The labour body claimed that military personnel and suspected thugs participated in the operation, which it condemned as an unacceptable response to a disagreement involving organised labour.
The NLC accused the state government of using force instead of established negotiation procedures to address the dispute, describing the alleged incident as an act of state-sponsored banditry.
The congress said the confrontation was linked to an industrial dispute involving NUEE, an affiliate of the NLC, over demands concerning workers’ conditions of service and employment terms.
It argued that the disagreement should have been resolved through dialogue and established industrial relations mechanisms rather than the alleged deployment of force against union members.
The labour organisation also accused the Edo State Government of displaying hostility towards organised labour, citing what it described as the unlawful occupation of the NLC’s state secretariat.
According to the congress, the dispute over the secretariat had attracted the attention of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
The NLC further questioned the government’s conduct, alleging that its representatives had sought additional time to address industrial relations concerns during a meeting with the Federal Government in Abuja on Wednesday evening.
It said the request for more time to negotiate appeared inconsistent with the alleged operation against workers in Benin City shortly afterwards.
The congress demanded an explanation for what it described as a contradiction between the government’s stated willingness to negotiate and the alleged use of force against union members.
The NLC outlined five demands to the Edo State Government, including an apology for the alleged violence, an end to the use of force in industrial disputes and a halt to actions it said were damaging Nigeria’s reputation.
It also called on the government to stop what it described as the diversion of workers’ check-off dues and ensure that Uwumarogie and other injured workers receive adequate medical care.
The congress said Governor Monday Okpebholo would be held personally responsible for the full recovery of the affected workers.
However, the allegations against the state government and the circumstances surrounding the operation were presented in the NLC’s statement.
The labour congress also called on the military leadership to investigate the alleged involvement of personnel in the operation and discipline anyone found culpable.
It warned that using soldiers in what it described as unlawful arrests could damage the reputation and integrity of the military.
Reaffirming its support for NUEE, the NLC said its affiliated unions and civil society allies had been placed on red alert.