The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly condemned the arrest of its president, Joe Ajaero, by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS), calling for his immediate and unconditional release.
Ajaero was reportedly apprehended at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while preparing to board a flight to the United Kingdom for a Trade Union Congress (TUC) meeting.
In a swift response, NLC spokesperson Benson Upah decried the arrest as an act of lawlessness by the Bola Tinubu-led administration, accusing the government of trampling on the rights of labour leaders and members.
“The congress will not stand idly by while the rights of its leaders and members are trampled upon. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Ajaero,” Upah stated.
Upah added that the congress has alerted all its affiliates and called on the international community and human rights organizations to note the increasing authoritarianism in Nigeria. He further warned that the world must witness these violations of human dignity, civil liberties, and the rule of law.
The NLC spokesperson also revealed that the congress has not yet been able to determine Ajaero’s current location or his state of health, as all attempts to contact him have been unsuccessful.
“We categorically state that Comrade Ajaero has been detained without any legal warrant or formal instrument. His detention is a brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation, as he has not been declared wanted by any law enforcement body,” Upah stressed.
The NLC also demanded the release of all Nigerians detained in prisons nationwide.
