The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has been released on bail around 11.25pm by the Department of State Security (DSS) a few minutes to the midnight ultimatum issued by the unionists.
Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on his way to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.
He was billed to attend the British Trade Union Congress’ (TUC) conference in London, which started yesterday.
A national officer of the NLC, who confirmed his release to Newsmen, explained that the secret police said the labour leader was released on bail.
Activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, also confirmed his release via a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday night.
Also, human rights activist and one of the lawyers of the NLC, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed the release of the labour leader.
He said: “Yes, he has been released.”
At least three other sources in the security circle confirmed the development to the us when contacted around 11.50pm, shortly before we went to press.
Earlier in the day, members of the organised labour, comprising the NLC and the TUC had threatened to shun their respective places of work and some critical facilities that are driving Nigeria’s economy in protest against the arrest of Ajaero.
This was just as the leadership of the NLC put its over 50 affiliate unions and state branches on standby for protest, if Ajaero was not released by or before midnight.
Also speaking about Ajaero’s travails, one of his lawyers, Maxwell Opara, said that the labour leader had informed the DSS about his trip to the United Kingdom for an official engagement.
He told Newsmen that the DSS had invited Ajaero a couple of days ago via a telephone call but that he told the secret police that he would honour the invitation on Monday, 16th September, 2024, upon his return from the UK to Nigeria.
“They (DSS) invited him on the phone. He told them that he was engaged with the World Trade Union Congress. He had committed to meeting with the DSS on Monday when he returns from the UK,” Opara said yesterday.
‘Ajaero’s arrest sign of impunity’
There was back and forth over the development yesterday as the NLC described the labour leader’s arrest as “an attempt to suppress its members’ voice” amidst biting hunger and hardships.
Ajaero was grilled for hours at the secret police’s headquarters in Abuja before his release last night.
Security sources, who were familiar with the development, confided in our correspondent that the labour leader was intercepted over alleged terrorism financing – similar allegation over which the Nigeria Police Force had earlier levelled against him.
Another source stated that the labour leader was earlier invited by the secret police based on issues that border on “national security”, after a petition was submitted against him but that he refused to honour the invitation.
“Our friend and brother, Comrade Ajaero knew why our operatives prevented him from his journey abroad. He was actually intercepted at the airport due to his failure to honour an invitation extended to him by the service.
“An invitation was sent to him since last week concerning a petition filed by top NLC leaders against him, and based on this, we have to invite him since the issues raised in the petition bothered on national security.
“Our new director-general, Mr Oluwatosin Ajayi, inherited the matter and when he assumed duty, he insisted that we first invite the NLC president to clear the air on some of the allegations but he did not honour the invitation,” the highly-placed official said.
He added: “Last week, we invited him (Ajaero) through the normal channel, which is on the telephone. A very senior director extended the invitation and was mandated to handle the investigation.
“Ajaero promised to come today, Monday. The next thing we heard was that Ajaero was sighted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, trying to board an international flight. No responsible security organisation will fold its hands in the face of such contempt,” he said.
Operatives go after SERAP directors, raid Abuja office
A few hours after Ajaero’s arrest, operatives of the DSS laid siege to the office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) located in Zone 1, Wuse, Abuja.
Although details of the operation at SERAP’s office were still sketchy as at the time of filing this report last night, the legal and advocacy organisation said the operatives demanded to see its directors.
“Officers from SSS are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors.
“President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation and attack on the rights of Nigerians,” the organisation said in a post on X.
SERAP on Sunday gave President Tinubu 48 days to reverse the recent hike in the pump price of premium motor spirit (PMS).
In an open letter dated September 7, 2024, signed by SERAP’s deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation said, “The increase in petrol price constitutes a fundamental breach of constitutional guarantees and the country’s international human rights obligations.”
Efforts to get an official position of the secret police did not yield results. The service had last week shut down its Directorate of Communications and redeployed its director, Peter Afunanya.
However, an operational phone number of the agency shared with journalists was called and the officer who picked the call urged our correspondent to send an email for confirmation but was yet to revert as promised as of press time last night.
The NLC’s ultimatum
Less than one hour after Ajaero was arrested, the leadership of the congress summoned an emergency National Administrative Council meeting at the Labour House.
The meeting, presided over by the Deputy President, Comrade Prince Adeyanju Adewale, said the organised labour would begin action today (Tuesday) if Ajaero was detained beyond midnight.
In a communiqué he read after the meeting, Adewale said the NAC asked the federal government to reverse what he described as a “dangerous trend of authoritarianism and lawlessness, which threatens the country’s democratic fabric.”
It read in part: “The National Administrative Council (NAC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) convened an emergency meeting today to address the alarming and unlawful arrest and detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, by agents of the Nigerian Government.
“Comrade Ajaero was arrested and detained at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while en-route to the United Kingdom, where he was scheduled to attend and address the Congress of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain, representing Nigerian workers in critical discussions on workers’ rights and social justice.
“After extensive deliberation, the NAC resolved as follows:
“Condemnation of the detention: The Council unequivocally condemns the brazen and illegal detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero by the Nigerian State without any legal warrant or justification.
“The NLC notes with grave concern that Comrade Ajaero was lawfully discharging his duties to represent Nigerian workers and had not committed any offence warranting such action. His detention is an affront to the rights of workers and the democratic principles of freedom of movement and expression.
“Demand for immediate and unconditional release: The NLC demands the immediate and unconditional release of Comrade Joe Ajaero before 12 midnight today.
“The council reiterates that Joe Ajaero is not a fugitive or a criminal, and his detention is an act of intimidation aimed at silencing dissent and stifling the labour movement’s voice in Nigeria. NAC also demands the immediate reversal of the current hike in the price of petrol to N617/litre.
“State of alert: The Congress places all its affiliates, state councils, civil society allies, and the Nigerian populace on red alert. The detention of Comrade Ajaero is an attack not just on the NLC leadership but on the rights of all workers and citizens to organise, protest, and express themselves freely.
“The NLC will not stand by while these rights are trampled upon. This provocation is another attempt by the State to scuttle the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage.
“Mobilisation for further action: The NLC reaffirms its commitment to defending the rights of Nigerian workers and citizens. The Congress will not relent in its efforts to oppose all forms of oppression”, it said in the communique.
TUC, Falana, Amnesty Int’l, others condemn development
Also, before his release yesterday, the TUC, the Amnesty International, the Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), among many individuals and organisations had condemned the act of the DSS.
The TUC, through its President, Festus Osifo, condemned Ajaero’s arrest, while demanding his immediate and unconditional release from custody.
Reacting to the incident when he appeared on Trust TV’s Daily Politics programme, the Country Director of Amnesty International, Isa Sanusi, said the president was going too far in his administration’s efforts to suppress dissenting voices.
“Amnesty International received a disturbing report of the unlawful invasion of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project by operatives of the DSS. President Bola Tinubu is going too far in his government’s repressive efforts to silence dissenting voices,” he said.
On his part, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, condemned the unlawful invasion of the Abuja office of the SERAP’s office by operatives of the DSS.
He said: “I condemn the invasion of SERAP’s office. The Tinubu government must urgently fish out the officers who carried out the invasion of SERAP’s office in the name of the government.
“Anyone found to be responsible for the invasion must be prosecuted. The government must allow human rights defenders to freely carry out their work, consistent with the Nigerian Constitution”, he said.
In the same vein, RULAAC said these developments pose a significant threat to the foundational pillars of democracy in Nigeria, emphasising the need for vigilance and advocacy for the protection of civil liberties.
The executive director of the organisation, Okechukwu Nwanguma, said such actions undermine the ability of civil society organisations and labour unions to operate freely, stifling dissent and limiting public discourse.
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