The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested and detained Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Benson Upah, Head of Information for the NLC, confirmed the arrest, stating that Ajaero was scheduled to attend the Trade Union Congress conference in London, which began the same day. The union has not been informed of Ajaero's current location, but they received a message from him confirming that the DSS had detained him.
In a subsequent statement, the NLC declared: "Comrade Ajaero has been detained without any legal warrant. Joe Ajaero is not a fugitive, and his detention is a clear act of lawlessness and intimidation. Restricting a lawful citizen's freedom is an affront to our democratic and natural rights as workers and citizens."
Ajaero’s arrest follows police summons he answered on August 28. He was released the following day after appearing before law enforcement. The initial summons from the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), was related to allegations of "criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime."
A second police invitation requested that Ajaero and NLC Secretary General Emmanuel Ugboaja appear for questioning regarding allegations of criminal intimidation, public disturbance, and malicious damage.
Accompanied by human rights lawyer Femi Falana and others, Ajaero complied with the police invitation at the Force Headquarters in Abuja. Afterward, he returned to the NLC headquarters, where he addressed a crowd of union members who had gathered in solidarity. Ajaero affirmed that the labour movement remains the most patriotic organization in Nigeria and vowed that the union would not compromise its values, regardless of any challenges.
The police invitation sparked controversy, with the NLC and other unions accusing the government of attempting to intimidate labour leaders. This followed a police raid on the NLC national secretariat in Abuja.
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