The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued an ultimatum to the Department of State Services (DSS), demanding the immediate release of its President, Joe Ajaero.
Following a meeting of NLC’s National Administrative Council (NAC) on Monday, the union set a deadline of midnight on Tuesday for the secret police to release Ajaero. He had been arrested at Abuja airport while en route to address the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK on behalf of Nigerian workers.
Ajaero had previously responded to a police invitation over allegations of terrorism financing in late August, maintaining his innocence. In light of his arrest, the NLC announced that it had placed its affiliates, state councils, civil society partners, and all patriotic Nigerians on high alert, citing “this troubling development.”
In a communique issued after the emergency meeting, the union condemned Ajaero’s “brazen and illegal detention” by the Nigerian state, which they claim lacked any legal warrant or justification. The NLC asserted that the arrest was an affront to workers’ rights and democratic principles such as freedom of movement and expression. They demanded Ajaero’s immediate and unconditional release by midnight.
“The NAC 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,” the union added, while also calling for the reversal of the recent fuel price hike to N617 per litre.
The NLC warned that the arrest of Ajaero was not just an attack on its leadership but a broader assault on the rights of all workers and citizens to organize, protest, and express themselves freely. The union affirmed it would not tolerate these rights being trampled on and interpreted the arrest as an attempt to derail the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage.
The Congress reaffirmed its commitment to defending the rights of Nigerian workers and announced an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting for 9 am on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, to determine further action against these “retrogressive forces.”
TUC Condemns Unjust Action
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) also condemned Ajaero’s arrest, with TUC President Festus Osifo calling it an unjust violation of the rights to freedom of association and expression—cornerstones of any democratic society.
“Congress firmly condemns the arrest and calls for his immediate and unconditional release,” Osifo said. “This action sets a dangerous precedent that threatens not only the leadership of Nigeria’s labour movement but also the voices of millions of working-class Nigerians.”
He urged the government to respect the rule of law and prioritize dialogue over intimidation, reaffirming the TUC’s solidarity with the NLC and commitment to defending workers’ rights.
Amnesty International: Tinubu Setting New Record of Impunity
Global rights group Amnesty International also criticized Ajaero’s detention. In a statement, the organization’s Nigeria Director, Isa Sanusi, said President Bola Tinubu’s government was setting a new precedent of impunity.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the unlawful arrest of Joe Ajaero by the DSS,” Sanusi said. “This arrest shows an escalating crackdown on human rights and restrictions on civic space by the Tinubu administration.”
Sanusi called on the Nigerian authorities to cease their harassment of the NLC and respect the rights of workers to organize, citing Nigeria’s commitments to international human rights laws and treaties that protect the right to unionize and engage in peaceful assembly.
“Joe Ajaero’s arrest is solely for exercising his human rights, and he must be released immediately and unconditionally,” the statement concluded.