Joe Ajaero: List of NLC Presidents, Labour Leaders Arrested by Nigerian Authorities
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs.
FCT, Abuja - Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was arrested on Monday, September 9.
Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) were widely reported to have effected the arrest.
Source: Twitter
The controversial seizure of the labour leader followed allegations of terrorism financing, subversion, and treasonable felony, which had led to rising tensions between the Nigerian government and the NLC.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had also openly chided Ajaero-led NLC, declaring in February that “if you want to participate in the electoral process, meet us in 2027".
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The criticism from the president came amid a stalled minimum wage negotiation.
Ajaero is not the first labour leader to be arrested by successive Nigerian authorities. Legit.ng highlights other instances below:
Frank Kokori
Kokori (of blessed memory) was arrested and detained in 1994 by the Sani Abacha regime. He was released in 1998 by General Abdulsalam Abubakar.
Kokori is a Nigerian labour leader and former general secretary of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG). He gained prominence for his role in the Nigerian labour movement, particularly during the oil workers' strikes in the 1990s. Kokori was a key figure in advocating for workers' rights and better working conditions in Nigeria.
Kokori played a significant role in the struggle for democracy in Nigeria and was a prominent figure during the pro-democracy movements in the 1990s, advocating for political reforms and an end to military rule. Kokori, along with other activists, participated in protests and strikes, contributing to the push for democratic governance.
His involvement was particularly notable during the struggle against the military regime of General Ibrahim Babangida and later against General Abacha. Kokori's efforts were part of a broader movement that eventually led to the restoration of civilian rule in Nigeria in 1999.
Adams Oshiomhole
In 2002, during the administration of Olusegun Obasanjo, Oshiomhole—then NLC president—was arrested by the police over a nationwide strike to protest fuel prices. The strike brought the country to a virtual standstill. Oshiomhole was arrested twice in two days.
Recalling the humiliations in an interview with Channels Television in November 2023, Senator Oshiomhole recounted a moment of assault at the hands of DSS operatives.
Oshiomhole narrated his experience in light of an assault on the incumbent NLC president, Ajaero, in Imo state.
He said:
“I had a similar experience. I was on my way to Delta state and I went to the airport.
“The then-director of SSS ordered that I should be arrested and stopped from travelling because we had given an ultimatum to the then federal government headed by President Olusegun Obasanjo.”
He continued:
“They (security operatives) dragged me on the tarmac and I had my cuts all over the place. They forcefully prevented me from flying and took me back to the DSS director general’s office — then Colonel (Kayode) Are.
“He (Are) offered to take me to their own hospital and I said, ‘No, I can’t even trust a government that has inflicted this kind of wound on me to treat me. They might as well poison my blood.’ I said I wasn’t going to do that.”
Oshiomhole added that he ended up in detention after being “taken away” for two days.
Oshiomhole concluded:
“(For) at least 48 hours, the NLC couldn’t locate me. When eventually I was let out, the bandage on my arm with the blood and all that, I told my colleagues, ‘This blood would rather reinforce and whet my appetite for the struggle for justice.’”
Ajaero: Activist tells NLC to declare strike
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that an activist, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, asked the NLC to declare a two-day strike.
Reacting to Ajaero's arrest, Soweto told the NLC to opt for a "decisive response" against the Tinubu administration.
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Source: Legit.ng
