THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded the immediate unconditional release of its president, Joe Ajaero, before midnight.
Ajaero was arrested earlier today, Monday, September 9 by operatives of the State Security Services (DSS) while on his way to the United Kingdom (UK), where he was invited to a conference by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain.
The demand was contained in the communiqué issued by the National Administrative Council ((NAC) of the union at the end of an emergency meeting in Abuja, on Monday.
“The NLC demands the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Joe Ajaero before 12 midnight today,” the communiqué reads.
“The council unequivocally condemns the brazen and illegal detention of comrade Joe Ajaero by the Nigerian State without any legal warrant or justification.”
This was as the sister’s union, Trade Union Congress (TUC), in a statement signed by its president Festus Osifo, demanded the unconditional release of the NLC president.
Reacting to Ajaero’s arrest, Osifo said, “This unjust action represents a clear violation of the rights to freedom of association and expression, fundamental pillars in any democratic society.
“This arrest sets a dangerous precedence that threatens not only the leadership of the Nigerian labour movement but also the voices of millions of working-class Nigerians who rely on unions to represent and protect their interests.
“It is imperative that the government respects the rule of law, democratic norms, and the legitimate rights of workers and their representatives. The labour movement has always stood for peaceful negotiations.
“We, therefore, urge the Nigerian government to prioritize dialogue and reconciliation over harassment. We stand in solidarity with the NLC and reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers,” he said.
The ICIR reported that the labour congress earlier today confirmed the arrest of Ajaero, by operatives of the State Security Services (SSS).
The arrest followed allegations of terrorism financing, subversion, and treasonable felony, which had led to rising tensions between the Nigerian government and the NLC.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M