EDITORIAL: Train 7 Labour Disputes: Must Human Rights Violations Lead to Arrest of Victims?
The purpose of law enforcement is to protect citizens and uphold the law without fear or favour. When that public trust is tested, institutions must be willing to answer hard questions. Recent developments involving members of the National Association of Plant Operators (NAPO), in Bonny Local Government Area, particularly around the Train 7 project site in Finima, raise such questions.
On Monday, August 3, 2026, four NAPO members were reportedly assaulted while carrying out what the union describes as lawful labour agitation. According to accounts received by Kristina Reports, police officers from the Finima Division arrested the injured workers instead of the alleged attackers.
Three out of the four were later arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court in Bonny and remanded. Reports also indicate they were denied access to medical care and legal representation while in custody, and were later transferred to the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
This incident fits a pattern documented over the last four years.
On January 23, 2026, NAPO President General Harold Benstowe and two others were reportedly detained for 89 days after reporting an assault at the same project site. They were eventually granted bail.
In October 2022, Mr. Benstowe and three others were arrested following an invitation to a meeting, arraigned on charges of conspiracy and economic sabotage, and remanded. That case, Suit No. PMC/RMP/025A/2022, remains pending.
In September 2022, a negotiation meeting at Atlantic Sterling Hotel was disrupted by armed police.
In the same month, Army personnel detained protesting Daewoo workers and released them the next day after intervention by the then GOC.
In all these instances, the consistent complaint from workers is the same: the right to freedom of association is being undermined, and those who agitate are the ones who end up in custody.
The law is clear. Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution guarantees freedom of association. Nigeria is also a signatory to ILO Convention No. 87. The Trade Unions Act and Labour Act further protect the right of workers to choose and belong to unions of their choice. The issue of salary structures, tax deductions, and remittances raised by NAPO members are equally matters defined by law, and should be resolved through dialogue, inspection, and where necessary, prosecution — not through arrests.
What is missing in this chain of events is accountability for violence. Kristina Reports is not aware of any public prosecution of the “hoodlums” allegedly responsible for attacking workers during these agitations. It is also not clear why bail conditions have, at times, been difficult to meet, or why union leaders report continued surveillance. These gaps create the impression that the state’s energy is directed more at managing dissent than at resolving the underlying industrial issues.
We do not prejudge the guilt or innocence of any party. The courts must decide. But the Police and DSS have a constitutional duty under Sections 4 and 5 of the Police Act, and the National Security Agencies Act, to protect life, property, and the rights of all citizens — including workers. Companies operating in Nigeria also have obligations under labour law to respect union rights and ensure transparent payroll and tax practices.
An industrial dispute on a project of national importance like Train 7 should not become a cycle of arrests, remands, and counter-allegations. It should be resolved through tripartite engagement: government, employers, and unions, with law enforcement playing a neutral role.
Therefore, we call on:
1. The Nigeria Police Force and DSS: To investigate all allegations of assault on workers, and to ensure that in future, victims are not treated as suspects. Due process must be seen to be followed at every stage.
2. NLNG, Daewoo and Contractors: To engage NAPO and other unions in good faith, collective bargaining, and to provide verifiable records on salary and tax remittances.
3. Rivers State Government and Federal Ministry of Labour: To convene an urgent dialogue to address union recognition and working conditions on the Train 7 project.
A society that criminalises lawful agitation will only drive grievances underground. A society that upholds the rule of law, protects rights, and enforces accountability will get the project done — and keep the peace. That is the standard Bonny, Rivers State, and Nigeria must be seen to uphold.
