NUMTEN sues ALGON, IGP over alleged harassment, extortion, intimidation of members

Com. James Chukwuma Ogu, National President, NUMTEN

Stanley Ihedigbo

National Union of Market Traders and Employers of Nigeria (NUMTEN) has dragged the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) to the Industrial Court over alleged harassment, extortion, and intimidation of its members.

According to the case filed by their lawyer, Chief Uzor Anozie-Ayoka of Macfiny Law Chambers, the union claimed that ALGON and the IGP have been using thugs and police officers to block its members from performing their statutory functions, including unionization, organization, and collective bargaining.

NUMTEN alleged that ALGON and the IGP have been harassing and intimidating its members, disrupting their operations and activities in various markets across Nigeria.

The union also claimed that ALGON and the IGP have been extorting money from market traders, with some traders reportedly paying over N20,000 weekly.

NUMTEN lamented that ALGON has been forcefully unionizing traders with unregistered and illegal market associations.

NUMTEN stressed that they are the sole body allowed by law to unionize, organize, interface, collect union dues, and engage in collective bargaining for market traders in Nigeria.

The union appealed that the court give, an order restraining ALGON and its agents from further interfering with NUMTEN’s statutory functions.

“An order compelling ALGON to pay N10 million in damages for breach of NUMTEN’s legal and statutory rights”, the union further appealed.