Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has been invited by the Nigeria Police Force to be questioned for his purported involvement in acts related to terrorism.
A press release from the NLC states that ACP Adamu Mu’azu, acting on behalf of the Commissioner of Police Intelligence, instructed Ajaero to report to the IRT Complex in Abuja by 10:00 AM today, and threatened to issue an arrest warrant for him if he did not.
“You are therefore required to report to the undersigned for an interview on Tuesday, 20th August 2024, at 10:00 hrs prompt, at Old Abattoir by Guzape Junction, Abuja, through the Team Leader on telephone no 08035179870, in connection with the above investigation.”
“Be informed that if you fail to honor this letter, this office will have no choice but to issue a warrant for your arrest.”
According to reports, Ajaero is connected to ongoing investigations into allegations of financing terrorism, criminal conspiracy, and cybercrime.
Benson Upah, Head of Communications and Corporate Affairs at NLC, connected the invitation to the union’s recent raid on its headquarters in a statement.
Upah declared, “It is obvious that the last word regarding the raid on the Nigeria Labour Congress headquarters has not been received.”
Background
When masked police officers attacked the NLC offices in July 2024, hostilities between the Nigerian Police and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) erupted.
According to reports, this operation was related to claims that labor unions funded the August 1, 2024, #EndBadGovernance demonstrations. Public indignation at growing living expenses and financial hardship catalyzed the protest, which ultimately resulted in demands for regime change.
Concerned about the government’s response to the large-scale protests, the NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) denounced the violent handling of protestors and criticized the government’s “anti-poor” policies, which were influenced by the World Bank and IMF. The press release was signed by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja.
The NEC also denounced the administration for treating treasonable felony accusations as commonplace offenses, claiming that they were being applied arbitrarily to nonviolent demonstrators.
According to the press release, “Government operatives continuously trivialize treasonable felonies, abusing them and making a mockery of them as serious crimes against the state.”
