The Nigeria Labour Congress in Osun State has raised concern over the reported arrest of local government workers shortly after they returned to duty following an almost 11-month strike. The state NLC chairman, Christopher Arapasopo, called for an immediate stop to what he described as repeated harassment of council staff at their workplaces.
Reports from political sources in the state claimed that two to three workers were taken into custody at the Boluwaduro Local Government Secretariat in Otan Ayegbaju and at the Egbedore council office in Awo. The arrests were said to have occurred as workers resumed work across the state. Images and video clips showing the detained workers and documents allegedly recovered from them spread widely on social media the same day.
Speaking during a state government prayer programme held at the Government Secretariat in Abere, Arapasopo warned that organised labour would respond if the situation continued. He accused security agencies of mistreating workers and alleged that political interests were behind the actions. According to him, the arrests were unnecessary and could push the state into unrest if not addressed.
The Osun State Police Command said it had no official record confirming the arrests. The police spokesperson explained that local government offices are public places and that security operatives were deployed to maintain order. He added that anyone found causing trouble within council premises, regardless of political affiliation, would be dealt with according to the law.
Local government employees resumed work on Monday after a directive from the National Union of Local Government Employees ended a strike that began in February 2025. The industrial action was linked to a prolonged leadership dispute between the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress over the outcome of the 2022 local government elections.
Security presence remained heavy at several council secretariats, with movement restricted and checks conducted at entry points. Reports also surfaced of attempts to remove official documents from some offices, which were said to have triggered the arrests.
The Osun APC leadership expressed concern over what it described as frequent court actions affecting local government administration, claiming this had disrupted council operations and access to funds. On the other hand, representatives of PDP-aligned local government chairmen accused security agencies of bias and warned against actions that could destabilise the state.
The police maintained that their role was limited to keeping peace and order and denied assisting any political group. Meanwhile, leaders of the APC local government association in the state commended workers for resuming duties calmly, saying there were no major issues in most councils.