Tension Over Arrest of NLC President, Joe Ajaero, CSO Decries Govt’s ‘Gestapo Tactics’

Tension is currently building within the labour over the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Joe Ajaero by operatives of Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS).

Ajaero was abruptly arrested at the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja as he made to board a plane to the United Kingdom where he is scheduled to address the Trade Union Congress of the UK.

Speaking on the arrest of Ajaero, the NLC Spokesman, Benson Upah, in a statement demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the labour leader. The NLC also affirmed its resoluteness in fighting and defending the rights of the Nigerian worker.

The NLC also called for the release of Nigerians who have been slammed into prisons across Nigeria for taking part in the #EndBadGovernance protest AKA “Hunger Protest.”

The NLC statement reads:

“The NLC remains resolute in its commitment to protecting workers’ rights and will not be cowed by the oppressive tactics of the state.

“Once again, we demand the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Joe Ajaero and the cessation of all forms of harassment against labour leaders and the Nigerian working class including innocent citizens who hold dissenting opinions.

“We equally demand that the state frees all Nigerians languishing in various prisons around the country for exercising their democratic rights to protest in the #EndBadGovernance rallies around the country.

“Finally, the Organs of the Congress are in a closed-door meeting whose outcome will be made available to the public.”

Nigerians React.

Several Nigerians and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have been reacting over the arrest of NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero by the DSS.

Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Ajaero’s lawyer Mr. Femi Falana while reacting to the arrest of his client told journalists in Abuja that Ajaero’s arrest was not connected to the earlier invitation by the police.

enior Advocate of Nigeria and Counsel to the Nigeria Labour Congress, Femi Falana, on Monday, stated that Ajaero’s arrest by operatives of the Department of State Services was not connected to the earlier invitation by the police.

He said that the DSS has not given any reason for the arrest of the NLC President.

“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.

“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,” Falana stated.

On their part,  a CSO, the United Action Front of Civil Society  condemned in strong terms the arrest of the NLC President, the group described the arrest of Ajaero as a “Gestapo” tactics that is meant to silence Nigerians.

According to the group the action of the DSS was an “the abduction of Ajaero today is brash and indecent on the part of Nigerian security operatives and should be condemned by all Nigerians.”

The group called for the immediate release of the NLC President warning that the action of the government was capable of causing mass civil disobedience.

The group’s statement signed by the the Head of Secretariat, Hamisu Santuraki, reads in part:

“We wish to state that the DSS has, without reason, broken the civil and conventional practice earlier adopted by the police in security matters concerning well-known high-profile citizens and leaders of the people, like the President of the NLC. Instead of extending invitations to such individuals, they have resorted to dehumanising tactics such as forceful abduction to embarrass and intimidate them like common criminals.

“As a matter of fact, Comrade Joe Ajaero is a significant leader of both the Labour movement and the masses of Nigeria, given his popular position as the President of the NLC, and therefore deserves to be treated with profound decorum and courtesy. Consequently, any security issues involving him should be handled with due process and not with the Gestapo tactics displayed by security agents today, which threaten to cause national chaos

“For us in the organised civil society and pro-democracy movement of Nigeria, the abduction of Ajaero today is brash and indecent on the part of Nigerian security operatives and should be condemned by all Nigerians. We, therefore, wish to unequivocally condemn this needless act of rascality employed by the DSS against the President of the NLC, which has already sent shockwaves through the length and breadth of the country and may lead to mass resistance and civil disobedience if Ajaero is not immediately released by the State.”

Some workers who pleaded anonymity while speaking with FACTSHEET on the arrest of the labour leader expressed fear over the possible consequences in addition to the hard times already being faced by Nigerians.