The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other stakeholders have condemned the arrest of its president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, threatening a showdown with the government.
While calling for his immediate and unconditional release, the labour movement has alerted its members for a possible confrontation.
LEADERSHIP reports that Ajaero was arrested by personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while he was about to board a flight to the United Kingdom to attend an event by Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain.
After an emergency meeting of its National Administrative Council (NAC), the NLC described the arrest as illegal and unjustified.The council expressed grave concern over what it termed an “affront to the rights of workers” and a violation of Ajaero’s democratic freedoms, particularly his right to movement and expression.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting and signed by the labour centre’s Deputy President Adeyanju Adewale, the NLC demanded Ajaero’s release before midnight and warned that his detention was a deliberate attempt to stifle the labour movement’s voice.
The council linked the arrest to broader issues affecting workers and demanded the reversal of the current hike in petrol prices to N617 per litre,
The Congress has also put all its affiliates, state councils, and civil society allies on high alert, hinting at a potential nationwide strike if Ajaero is not freed.
The NLC emphasised that Ajaero’s arrest is an attack not only on the labour leadership but also on Nigerians’ broader rights to organise and protest freely.
In anticipation of further action, the NLC has called for an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) today to decide its next steps.
The Congress vowed to defend the rights of Nigerian workers. It urged the government to respect democratic principles, including implementing the recently signed National Minimum Wage law.
The communiqué reads in part: “The NLC demands the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Joe Ajaero before midnight today.
“The Council reiterates that Joe Ajaero is not a fugitive or a criminal, and his detention is an act of intimidation aimed at silencing dissent and stifling the labour movement’s voice in Nigeria. NAC also demands the immediate reversal of the current hike in the price of petrol to N617 per litre.”
“The Congress places all its affiliates, state councils, civil society allies, and the Nigerian populace on red alert.
“The detention of Comrade Ajaero is an attack not just on the NLC leadership but on the rights of all workers and citizens to organise, protest, and express themselves freely.”
Similarly, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has also expressed concern over the arrest of the NLC president and called for his immediate and unconditional release.
In a statement issued shortly after Ajaero’s arrest, TUC President Festus Osifo described the arrest as a violation of the fundamental rights to freedom of association and expression, which are essential to any democratic society.
Comrade Osifo condemned the arrest as an unjust act that threatens not only the leadership of the Nigerian Labour movement but also undermines the rights of millions of working-class Nigerians who depend on unions to defend their interests.
Meanwhile, human rights lawyer Femi Falana said that the arrest of his client, Joe Ajaero, is not connected with the earlier invitation by the Nigerian Police Force.
Falana said the secret police had failed to provide a reason for Ajaero’s arrest.
“The police rescheduled the invitation to Comrade Joe Ajaero last week. I have contacted the police authorities. The arrest is not related to the police invitation,” he said.
“Comrade Ajaero was on his way to London to attend the ongoing TUC conference when he was arrested at the airport this morning by the SSS. No reason has been provided for the arrest by the SSS.”
SERAP Asks Tinubu To End DSS Intimidation, Harassment Of Its Directors
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to end the Department of State Services’ (DSS) intimidation, harassment, and attacks.
SERAP also said there is a threat of arrest for its directors and employees.
SERAP’s deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare made this call in a press statement issued on Monday after some officers from the DSS allegedly invaded its Abuja office, requesting to see their directors without any prior notification.
He claimed that the raid on the organisation’s office occurred after they urged President Tinubu and his government to instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to reverse the unauthorised increase in the pump price of petrol and to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the alleged corruption and mismanagement within the NNPCL.
Oluwadare said the invasion of SERAP’s office by the DSS and the -*/ harassment and intimidation of its staff members is a brutal assault on the entire human rights community in the country.
He stressed that the escalating crackdown on human rights, and harassment and intimidation of NGOs and human rights defenders that have shown astonishing courage in their human rights work hurt those in need, undermine access for Nigerian victims of human rights violations and abuses to justice, and contribute to a culture of impunity for perpetrators.
The SERAP deputy director, while maintaining that the government must support and protect civil society groups and human rights defenders, expressed grave concern about the growing restrictions on civic space and the brutal crackdown on the human rights of Nigerians.
Oluwadare said, “President Tinubu must urgently instruct appropriate authorities to promptly and thoroughly investigate the invasion of our offices and bring to justice those involved.
“Nigerian authorities must allow SERAP to freely carry out our mandates as recognised under the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Nigeria is a state party.
“Nigerian authorities must end the harassment and intimidation attacks against SERAP and ensure the safety and security of our staff.”
Air Peace Petition Against Ajaero Long Withdrawn
Meanwhile, the management of Air Peace Airlines has distanced itself from the petition allegedly used by the DSS to arrest NLC President Joe Ajaero on Monday.
Air Peace Airlines, in a press statement made available to LEADERSHIP by its spokesman Omotade Makinwa, acknowledged that Air Peace submitted a pe tition against the union leader to the Nigeria Police in September 2023 but stated that the two parties had resolved the issue, and the petition had been withdrawn.
He expressed surprise at the sudden arrest of the NLC president after the police failed to take prompt action against him despite repeated follow-ups on the petition in 2023.
“Air Peace Airlines expresses deep concern over recent media reports regarding the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in connection with a petition filed by the airline in September 2023. This development has led to negative publicity and does not reflect the current relationship between Air Peace and the NLC.
“It is important to clarify the events leading up to the petition. On 3rd May 2023, the NLC disrupted Air Peace operations as part of a broader conflict with the Imo State government. Although Air Peace had no involvement in the dispute between the NLC and the Imo State government, our airline was unfortunately used to exert pressure on the government. This unlawful disruption of our services caused significant financial losses and impacted the travel plans of many Nigerians across multiple states.
“In response to this disruption, Air Peace’s legal team submitted a formal petition against the NLC to the Nigerian Police. Despite our repeated efforts to follow up on the petition, the Police failed to take prompt action.”
Omotade, in the statement, said the airline and the NLC had reached an amicable resolution.
However, over a year later, the Nigerian Police have chosen to act on the original petition, which has now led to the alleged arrest of the NLC president. Before this arrest, the airline and the NLC had already reached an amicable resolution. Air Peace had withdrawn its petition, allowing a positive working relationship between the two organisations to resume.