"This Intimidation Must Stop": NLC Reacts as DSS Reportedly Arrests Joe Ajaero
- Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was reportedly arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja
- The NLC swiftly reacted to Ajaero's arrest, condemning it as an act of intimidation and harassment against labour representatives
- The union emphasized that the arrest is part of a broader pattern of intimidation amid rising tensions over economic policies affecting workers
In a shocking development, Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was reportedly arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday, September 9.
According to sources, Ajaero was apprehended at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, as he was en route to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.
Source: Twitter
Ajaero was scheduled to attend the Trade Union Congress (TUC) conference in London, which kicks off today.
His arrest has sparked an immediate backlash from labour organizations and workers’ unions across Nigeria, who view the incident as an act of intimidation, The Punch reported.
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Labour says assault against union must stop
Reacting swiftly in a post made on X, the NLC condemned the arrest of their leader.
In a statement released shortly after the incident, the union expressed outrage at what they described as the continuous harassment of Nigerian workers by security agencies.
He said:
“This intimidation and assault on workers’ representatives must stop. The president of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was arrested by men of the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja this morning, on his way to attend an official engagement of TUC in the United Kingdom.
"He is now being detained at the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).”
Calls for immediate release and end to harassment
The NLC is demanding the immediate release of Ajaero and has called on the government to cease its alleged assault on labour leaders.
The union insists that the arrest is part of a wider pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing the labour movement, particularly as tensions rise over economic policies affecting workers.
The statement further reads:
“The government must ensure that workers’ rights are respected, and any actions against their representatives will not be tolerated.
“We will not stand idly by while our leaders are targeted for representing the interests of Nigerian workers.”
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Ajaero's arrest: NLC told to declare nationwide strike, mass protest
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that Hassan Taiwo Soweto, an activist who was one of the organisers of the 'End Bad Governance in Nigeria' protest, has asked the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to declare a two-day strike.
Soweto's call follows the arrest of the NLC president, Joe Ajaero, in Abuja, the Nigerian capital city, by the personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS).
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Source: Legit.ng
