Suspected thugs on Wednesday waylaid protesting members of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) as they moved to picket the residence of the minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, in Asokoro area of Abuja for not inaugurating the NSITF board. The incident happened at the Justice Muhammad Nasir street located in Asokoro area of the FCT. ADVERTISEMENT The labour leaders and their members had earlier barricaded the minister’s residence with two tankers which were parked at about 5am to block the entrance. The NLC president, Comrade Ayuba Wabba alongside his NUPENG counterpart, Comrade Eniredonana Akporeha Williams who led the protesters, alleged that the thugs were mobilized to maliciously handle any labour member found within the area of the minister’s residence. ADVERTISEMENT Our reporter at the scene observed that the thugs who were fully armed with planks and stones exchanged blows with some union members, just as some of the protesting workers sustained varying degree of injuries. “Why are you fighting us? Why are you stoning us?” Wabba and other labour union members who were denied access and chased away from the ministers’ residence queried the thugs. Our reporter also noted that those who sustained injuries were immediately rushed to the hospital for immediate treatment while a journalist lost his camera, just as another got his car windscreen smashed during the incident.(Daily Trust)