Security operatives suspected to be personnel of the
Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested Joe Ajaero, president of the
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
Benson Upah, spokesperson of the NLC, told TheCable that
Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja as
he was about to board a flight to the UK.
“The assault on Nigerian workers continues. President of the
NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was arrested and abducted by men of the DSS at the
Nnamdi Azikwe Airport Abuja this morning on his way to attend an official
engagement of TUC United Kingdom and he is now detained at the office of the
NSA,” the NLC said in a statement.
“This intimidation and assault must stop!!!”
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”.
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.
Nigerians took to the streets from August 1-10 to protest
against economic hardship and soaring inflation with #EndBadGovernance as the
theme.
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.
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