Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Ajaero was apprehended while preparing to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.
The NLC President was scheduled to attend the Trade Union Congress (TUC) conference in London, which began today.
The reasons behind his arrest remain unclear, sparking concerns and questions among labour circles and the general public.
The Head of Information for the NLC, Mr. Benson Upah, confirmed the arrest, noting that the union had received a message from Ajaero confirming that he was in DSS custody. However, Upah also stated that the union is unaware of his exact location following the detention.
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In response to the arrest, the NLC released a statement condemning the detention. “We wish to categorically state that Comrade Ajaero has been detained without any legal warrant or formal instrument. Joe Ajaero is not a fugitive. His detention is therefore a brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation as he has not been declared wanted by any law enforcement body,” the statement read.
The union added that Ajaero’s detention was “a brazen act of intimidation and completely unjustified under the laws of our nation. The mere contemplation of not just stopping a lawful citizen from travelling but also sequestering his freedom is an affront to our democratic and natural rights as a people and as workers.”
Ajaero’s arrest came just a week after he had honoured a previous invitation by the police on August 28, following allegations related to “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.” He was released the following day after honouring the invitation.
Additionally, Ajaero had been invited again by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), to attend an interview scheduled for September 5th in connection with an ongoing investigation.
The invitation also extended to the NLC Secretary General, Emmanuel Ugboaja.
Accompanied by human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, Ajaero honoured the police invitation and later addressed a crowd of NLC members who gathered at the union’s headquarters in solidarity.
In his speech, Ajaero reiterated the patriotism of the labour movement, stating, “The labour movement is the most patriotic organisation in the country, and we will not compromise our patriotism, no matter the challenges we face.”
Labour unions across the country have expressed outrage over Ajaero’s arrest, accusing the Federal Government of attempting to intimidate labour leaders.
