Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says the arrest of his client, Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), is unconnected with the earlier invitation by the Nigeria police force.
Personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested
Ajaero on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja as he was about
to board a flight to the UK.
On August 29, the NLC president honoured the invitation of
the police over “a case of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing,
treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime”.
Addressing the recent arrest of his client, Falana said the
secret police had failed to provide a reason for Ajaero’s arrest.
“The invitation to Comrade Joe Ajaero by the police was
rescheduled 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.”
BACKGROUND
On August 19, the police invited Ajaero for questioning over
“a case of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony,
subversion, and cybercrime”.
The letter signed by Adamu Mu’azu, assistant commissioner of
police, indicated that Ajaero was expected at the Intelligence Response Team
(IRT) complex on August 20.
Mu’azu said an arrest warrant would be issued on Ajaero if
he did not honour the invitation.
Ajaero declined the invitation, demanding details of the
allegations levelled against him.
On August 7, police had raided the NLC building in the
Central Business District of Abuja.
The NLC said operatives who raided the building “claimed
that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGovernance
protests” which took place from August 1-10.
Subsequently, Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police
(IGP), said one of the masterminds of the Sudan conflict was traced to the NLC
headquarters.
The IGP added that police detectives traced the foreigner to
a shop within the Labour House, and that operatives did not raid the entire
secretariat.
On August 29, some members of affiliate unions and labour
leaders across states, converged on the Labour House ahead of Ajaero’s visit to
the IRT.
Afterwards, Ajaero and Femi Falana, human rights lawyer,
alongside other activists, left the building for the police headquarters and
returned few hours later.
On August 30, the police issued another invitation to Ajaero
and Emma Ugboaja, general secretary of the NLC, to appear on September 5.
An invitation letter signed by Ibitoye Alajide, commissioner
of police in charge of operations, said Ajaero and Ugboaja are to answer
questions over “alleged criminal intimidation, conducts likely to cause a
breach of public peace, and malicious damage to property”.
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