DSS Arrests NLC President Joe Ajaero at Abuja Airport

The Department of State Services (DSS) has taken the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, into custody. The arrest occurred on Monday morning at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja as Ajaero was preparing to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.

According to reports, Ajaero was handed over to the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) following his arrest. He was scheduled to attend a Trade Union Congress (TUC) conference in the UK.

Earlier, Ajaero had requested that a police summons issued to him and the NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, be postponed. The invitation, initially set for September 5, 2024, was requested to be rescheduled to September 25, 2024.

Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), legal counsel for the NLC, who had accompanied Ajaero to the police headquarters on August 29, had indicated that the labour leaders might seek a deferral of the interrogation. Falana explained on Thursday, “We requested a new date as Comrade Joe Ajaero had a prior engagement outside Abuja today.”

The police had initially summoned Ajaero and Ugboaja to answer questions related to allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, and treasonable felony. However, during their appearance, the police focused instead on questions about a tenant occupying a shop within the Labour Secretariat.

Maxwell Opara, Deputy Lead Counsel for the NLC President, noted that the police meeting was brief, with no mention of the serious allegations outlined in the original invitation letter dated August 19, 2024. Opara also called for the release of individuals arrested during the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests, emphasizing that those detained had already been held beyond the lawful time limit.