The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is about now holding an emergency meeting following the arrest of Joe Ajaero, its President by the Department of the State Service (DSS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Monday morning.
Benson Upah, its Head of Public Relations Department, who made this known, said that Ajero was about to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.
He added that the NLC president, was billed to attend a TUC meeting in the United Kingdom.
Upah said The Congress was holding a closed-door meeting to discuss the situation, and the outcome will be made public soon.
Upah said Ajaero was arrested without a legal warrant or formal instrument, and his whereabouts and health status are currently unknown.
He said Ajaero was to address the Trade Union Congress in the UK on behalf of Nigerian workers, discussing critical issues like workers’ rights, social justice, and economic fairness.
“The Congress has also called on the international community, human rights organizations, and democracy advocates to take note of the rising wave of authoritarianism in Nigeria.
“The NLC has put its affiliates, state councils, and civil society allies on high alert and vowed to protect workers’ rights and not be cowed by oppressive tactics,” he said.
Following the development, the United Action Front of Civil Society, condemned the arrest of Ajaero by the DSSS.
The civil society group described the arrest as a “needless show of force” and an attempt to cause national anarchy.
They argued that Ajaero, as a high-profile citizen and leader, should have been treated with decorum and courtesy, rather than being subjected to “dehumanising tactics.”
The group, in a statement signed by the Head of Secretariat, Hamisu Santuraki, called for Ajaero’s immediate release, warning that his detention could lead to mass resistance and civil disobedience.
They also announced plans to commence national consultations on halting the growing “police state” in Nigeria.
“We wish to state that the DSS has, without reason, broken the civil and conventional practice earlier adopted by the police in security matters concerning well-known high-profile citizens and leaders of the people, like the President of the NLC.
”Instead of extending invitations to such individuals, they have resorted to dehumanising tactics such as forceful abduction to embarrass and intimidate them like common criminals.
“As a matter of fact, Comrade Joe Ajaero is a significant leader of both the Labour movement and the masses of Nigeria, given his popular position as the President of the NLC, and therefore deserves to be treated with profound decorum and courtesy. Consequently, any security issues involving him should be handled with due process and not with the Gestapo tactics displayed by security agents today, which threaten to cause national chaos.
“For us in the organised civil society and pro-democracy movement of Nigeria, the abduction of Ajaero today is brash and indecent on the part of Nigerian security operatives and should be condemned by all Nigerians. We, therefore, wish to unequivocally condemn this needless act of rascality employed by the DSS against the President of the NLC, which has already sent shockwaves through the length and breadth of the country and may lead to mass resistance and civil disobedience if Ajaero is not immediately released by the State.”
Ajaero’s arrest has generated shockwaves across the country, with many condemning the DSS’s actions as a brazen attempt to silence dissenting voices.
