The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has given the Federal Government until midnight on Monday to release its President, Joe Ajaero, who was detained by government agents. The NLC warned of severe consequences if Ajaero is not released by the deadline.
In a statement issued at the end of an emergency National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting, NLC Deputy President Prince Adewale Adeyanju condemned the detention, calling it “an unlawful arrest” and “an affront to the rights of workers and democratic principles.”
The communiqué stated: “The National Administrative Council (NAC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) convened an emergency meeting today to address the alarming and unlawful arrest and detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, by agents of the Nigerian Government.”
Ajaero was reportedly detained at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while en route to the United Kingdom to attend a Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain meeting.
The NLC emphasized that Ajaero had committed no crime and was lawfully fulfilling his duties. “The Council unequivocally condemns the brazen and illegal detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero by the Nigerian State without any legal warrant or justification,” the communiqué continued.
The NLC warned, “The Congress places all its affiliates, State Councils, Civil society allies, and the Nigerian populace on red alert. The detention of Comrade Ajaero is an attack not just on the NLC leadership but on the rights of all workers and citizens to organize, protest, and express themselves freely.”
The NAC has scheduled a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting for 9 AM on Tuesday to determine a response if Ajaero is not released. The NLC also demands the immediate reversal of the petrol price hike to N617 per liter.
The statement concluded by urging the Nigerian Government to “reverse this dangerous trend of authoritarianism and lawlessness,” threatening further action to protect the rights of workers and the nation’s democratic fabric.
