The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the President of the NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero, who was arrested by the Department of State Service (DSS) on Monday.
A statement by the NLC said that Mr Ajaero was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on his way to the United Kingdom where he was billed to address a workers’ conference.
According to the statement signed by the Head of Information and Public Affairs of NLC, Mr. Benson Upah, it said “this morning, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, was seized and whisked away by agents of the Nigerian State while on his way to the United Kingdom on the invitation of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain.
“Comrade Ajaero was set to attend and address the global gathering of workers on behalf of Nigerian workers at the Congress of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK, a platform where critical discussions on workers’ rights, social justice, and economic fairness are discussed.
“We are yet to ascertain his whereabouts or his state of health as all efforts we have made to get in touch with him have proved abortive,” Mr. Upah said.
He stressed that the President’s detention was without any legal warrant or formal instrument, adding that the NLC leader is not a fugitive as he has not been declared wanted by any law enforcement body.
“His detention is a brazen act of intimidation and completely unjustified under the laws of our nation. The mere contemplation of not just stopping a lawful citizen from traveling but also sequestering his freedom is an affront to our democratic and natural rights as a people and as workers.”
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Already, the NLC said it has convened an emergency meeting to deliberate on the development while also putting Nigerians, all its affiliates, and other partners on alert.
“In light of this troubling development, the Congress puts all its affiliates, State Councils, Civil society allies, and all patriotic Nigerians on the highest state of alert.
“The Congress will not stand idly by while the rights of its leaders and members are trampled upon.”
In a separate statement signed by its President, Mr. Festus Osifo, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of the NLC President, Mr. Joe Ajaero.
In the statement made available to the media on Monday, the TUC said it was shocked to receive the news of the arrest saying it was unjust.
“The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has received with grave concern the news of the arrest of the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) earlier today.
“This unjust action represents a clear violation of the rights to freedom of association and expression, fundamental pillars in any democratic society.
“Congress firmly condemns the arrest and calls for his immediate and unconditional release.
“This arrest sets a dangerous precedence that threatens not only the leadership of the Nigerian labour movement but also the voices of millions of working-class Nigerians who rely on unions to represent and protect their interests,” the TUC President said.
While calling on the Nigerian government to “prioritse dialogue and reconciliation”, the TUC added that it stands in solidarity with the NLC and also affirmed its commitment “to defending the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers”, stressing that the labour movement has always stood for peaceful negotiations.
