The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero was arrested on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while on his way to the United Kingdom for an official assignment, the NLC confirmed.
Ajaero was scheduled to attend the Trade Union Congress conference in London, which begins today.
According to the NLC’s Head of Information, Mr. Benson Upah, Ajaero was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS). The union stated that Ajaero was arrested without a legal warrant, describing his detention as an act of intimidation and lawlessness. “Joe Ajaero is not a fugitive.
His detention is therefore a brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation,” the NLC said in a statement.
The arrest comes just a week after Ajaero responded to an invitation by the police on August 28 over allegations including criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.
Ajaero, accompanied by human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and other supporters, was released the day after he honored the invitation.
Ajaero’s arrest has sparked controversy among labour unions, who accuse the Federal Government of trying to intimidate labour leaders. His earlier police invitation followed a controversial night raid on the NLC national secretariat in Abuja.
The NLC has called for Ajaero’s immediate release, emphasizing that his detention undermines democratic rights and the rule of law in the country.
