The Department of State Services Service (DSS) has released Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
He was set free by the secret police on Monday, September 9, 2024, at approximately 11 p.m., but they also took his passport.
He was apprehended at around seven in the morning on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, and after fifteen hours in custody, he was released to his lawyer, Abubakar Marshall of Falana and Falana Chambers.
Early on Tuesday morning, the NLC posted a message on its official X (formerly Twitter) account announcing his release.
“Comrade Joe Ajaero, the President of the NLC, was released from DSS custody.
The NLC tweeted, “The struggle continues, we can’t be silenced.” the news of Ajaero’s release.
Ajaero was detained on Monday at the Abuja airport as he attempted to board an aircraft to the UK to attend a World Trade Union Congress (WTUC) session.
Amnesty International has called for Ajaero’s unconditional release, amid criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration over his arrest. Ajaero’s detention was described by the National Liberation Congress (NLC) as “arbitrary” and as part of Tinubu’s government’s “crackdown on human rights”. Additionally denouncing Ajaero’s visit to the UK for a formal engagement was his attorney, Maxwell Opara.
The attorney claimed that Ajaero had received a phone invitation from the DSS a few days prior, but that he had informed the secret police that he would accept the invitation on Monday, September 16, when he returned to Nigeria from the UK. “They (SSS) 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 SSS on Monday when he returned from the UK,” Opara said in an interview today.
By arresting Mr. Ajaero, the lawyer claimed that the Nigerian government was trying to undermine his advocacy and leadership of the NLC. The lawyer further claimed that the arrest was a part of a larger plan to thwart the efforts of the NLC president on behalf of Nigerian workers, and that the government was planning to force the labor leader out of office and replace him with a more suitable candidate. “The government wants to push him out,” the lawyer declared. “The SSS claimed Mr. Ajaero was invited, despite his clear communication about his availability. This is a deliberate attempt to disrupt his work.”
The arrest of Nigerian National Congress leader Ajaero Aquino, who has been in a struggle with the Nigerian government, is seen as an attempt to weaken his influence. The arrest comes amid ongoing tensions between the NLC and Ajaero. The arrest has been linked to the 70-year-old British socialist Andrew Wynee, who runs a bookstore in the Labour House building. The Nigerian government has declared Wynee wanted over an alleged attempt to topple President Bola Tinubu’s government.
