Ajaero Arrested, Released, CSOs Condemn Action

•Tinubu setting new record of impunity, says Amnesty International

•SERAP alleges invasion of its premises by security agencies

Chuks Okocha, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Linus Aleke in Abuja and Chinedu Eze in Lagos

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajero, who was arrested in the early hours of yesterday by the Department of State Service (DSS), was released late last night on bail.

Although a litany of condemnations had trailed the labour leader’s arrest over yet-to-be disclosed offences as well as the invasion of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP), allegedly by the DSS, Ajaero was released at exactly 11:05 last night, according to an Assistant Secretary of the NLC, Mr. Chris Onyeka, who confirmed the development to THISDAY in a telephone conversation.

The NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had asked the federal government to release Ajaero immediately and unconditionally, latest by midnight.

The Global rights group, Amnesty International and the United Action Front of Civil Society, had also condemned the arrest and detention of Ajaero, by the DSS, saying President Bola Tinubu was setting a new record of impunity.

But Air Peace Airlines Limited had denied any involvement in the arrest of the labour leader, contrary to speculations.

Ajaero was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja and prevented from boarding his flight to attend a scheduled meeting of the International Trade Union Congress in the United Kingdom.

There are speculations that his arrest was not unconnected with his refusal to honour invitations of the undercover police, as well as a petition against him by an airline operator.

The Service had reiterated its new public communication policy of covertness and the likelihood of studied silence over certain matters.

To this end, all efforts to get the service to confirm the viral publication of the arrest of the labour leader as well as the offences for which he was nabbed, proved abortive as calls and emails to the service were ignored.

But an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Maxwell Okpara, yesterday, said the DSS confirmed to him and two others that Ajaero, was in their custody, but denied them access to him.

Okpara, who was a guest at AIT programme, “Democracy Today,” noted that the operatives of the service simply asked them to go, stating that “any time they are ready for us  they will invite us.”

It was reported that Ajaero was about to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official assignment when he was picked up by the DSS personnel.

Some viral publications reported that his arrest on his way to attend a conference of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK, followed his refusal to honour DSS, and National Intelligence Agency (NIA), an invitation for questioning over his link to the British citizen, Andrew Wynne, who was alleged to be sponsoring terrorism and plotting a regime change in Nigeria.

Another reason adduced in the viral publication was his failure to honour the invitation of the undercover police, over an alleged case of extortion. There was also the issue of an alleged petition by Air Peace Airlines against the labour leader.

In another breath, SERAP had sent an SOS to President Bola Tinubu, through its verified social media handle over the invasion of its premises.

The civil society organisations stated that, “Officers from Nigeria’s State Security Service (SSS), are presently unlawfully occupying SERAP’s office in Abuja, asking to see our directors.

“President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation, and attack on the rights of Nigerians.”

However, the NLC, in a statement by its Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, called for the immediate and unconditional release of Ajaero and the cessation of all forms of harassment against labour leaders and the Nigerian working class, including innocent citizens,who hold dissenting opinions.

He said the NLC had put all its affiliates, State Councils, Civil society allies and all patriotic Nigerians on the highest state of alert.

NLC’s National Administrative Council met yesterday, shortly after Ajaero was arrested and had issued a statement urging the government to release him from detention before midnight yesterday.

In an earlier statement signed by the NLC Deputy President, Prince Adeyanju Adewale, the Council said, Ajaero was neither a fugitive nor a criminal, adding that his detention was, “an act of intimidation aimed at silencing dissent and stifling the labour movement’s voice in Nigeria.”

NLC’s leadership also demanded the immediate reversal of the current hike in the price of petrol to N617/Litre.

The statement read: “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 organise, protest, and express themselves freely.

“The NLC will not stand by while these rights are trampled upon. This provocation is another attempt by the state to scuttle the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage.”

In the statement, NLC reaffirmed its commitment to defending the rights of Nigerian workers and citizens, adding that it would not relent in its efforts to oppose all forms of oppression by government.

“NAC-in-session, therefore, summons an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) by 9:00 AM tomorrow, the 10th day of September 2024 to take compelling action to engage the current forces of retrogression,” it said.

The labour movement further demanded the immediate implementation of the New National Minimum Wage, which has been signed into Law.

It vowed that it would not waver in its duty to protect the rights of workers and the freedom of all Nigerians.

NLC also expressed concern that Ajaero was arrest while lawfully discharging his duties to represent Nigerian workers and had not committed any offense warranting such action.

“His detention is an affront to the rights of workers and the democratic principles of freedom of movement and expression,” it said.

Similarly, the TUC asked the federal government to immediately free Ajaero.

The union stated that it received with grave concern the news of the arrest of the President of the NLC.

A statement by the TUC President, Festus Osifo, described the arrest as an unjust action and a clear violation of the rights to freedom of association and expression.

It said what the government did was a violation of the fundamental pillars in any democratic society.

“Congress firmly condemns the arrest and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. This arrest sets a dangerous precedent that threatens not only the leadership of the Nigerian labour movement but also the voices of millions of working-class Nigerians, who rely on unions to represent and protect their interests.

“It is imperative that the government respects the rule of law, democratic norms, and the legitimate rights of workers and their representatives. The labour movement has always stood for peaceful negotiations.

“We, therefore, urge the Nigerian government to prioritise dialogue and reconciliation over harassment. We stand in solidarity with the NLC and reaffirm our commitment to defending the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers.”

Amnesty International Nigeria, in a statement yesterday, by its Director, Isa Sanusi, “strongly condemns the unlawful arrest of the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero by the Department of State Services (DSS) today. The labour union leader must be immediately and unconditionally released.

“The arbitrary arrest of Joe Ajaero shows an escalating crackdown on human rights and restrictions on civic space by the government of President Bola Tinubu.

“President Bola Tinubu’s government persistently attacks and undermines the operations of the NLC, through fabricated allegations, raids on NLC headquarters and other forms of harassment and intimidation. This growing culture of impunity and disdain for workers’ rights to organise and seek better welfare must stop.

“President Tinubu is setting a new record of utter disregard for the rule of law. Amnesty International has observed, in the last one year, the increasing crackdown by the Nigerian authorities on the labour union and civic space. The authorities continue to weaponise the police and SSS to repress the human rights of Nigerians.

“Nigeria is a party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, including trade union membership and activities.

“The country is also a member of the International Labour Organization, whose fundamental principles include the right to organize, are binding on all members.

“Under international human rights law workers cannot be targeted for participating in trade union activities. The Nigerian authorities have an obligation not only to respect the rights of workers but also to protect these rights from abuse.

“Joe Ajaero is arrested solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights and must be immediately and unconditionally released,” the statement concluded.

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE),accused the security agency of detaining and treating Ajaero like a fugitive without access to his lawyers, families and colleagues.

A statement by acting General Secretary, General Secretary, NUEE, Igwebike Dominic, described the action of government, “as a brazen act of intimidation and harassment is a violation of his fundamental rights and freedom as a Nigerian citizen.

“We are demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Com. Joe Ajaero and we are saying to the government to desist from its unscrupulous harassment of labour leaders and Nigerian workers who speak out on the crushing hardship they are batting with caused by the irresponsible acts of the government that has turned deaf ears to the groaning of the people that they are governing.

“The last we know, Nigeria is still a democratic nation, so why is the government witch-hunting and trying to silence those that speak out to protest their deplorable state of living and economic hardship?”

 NUEE said Ajaero represented the Nigerian workers and the common man on the street, adding that the act of the government signified trampling on masses and is tantamount to beating a child and preventing the child from crying.

“An injury to Com. Joe Ajaero is an injury to all Nigerian workers and Electricity employees in particuar.Nigeria is our collective country, our leaders should not make us live ike slaves that cannot express themselves in our country.

“We demand unequivocal and unconditional release of Com. Joe Ajaero without any harm meted to him. We are using this medium to put all our members on alert for further directives,” the union said.

Also, the United Action Front of Civil Society frowned at what it termed, “the needless show of force by the operatives of the DSS in abducting Ajaero in a gestapo manner.”

A statement by the National Coordinating Secretariat, United Action Front of Civil Society, Mallam Hamisu Santuraki, stated that the DSS has for no reason “broken the civil and conventional practice earlier adopted by the police as touching security issues with well-known high-profile citizens and leaders of the people like the President of the NLC by extending invitations to them rather than employing dehumanising tactics such as forceful abduction against them to embarrass and intimidate them like common criminals.

“As a matter of fact, Comrade Joe Ajaero is a huge 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, security issues with him should be handled with due process and not with gestapo tactics displayed by security agents today 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 rascality employed by the DSS today against the President of the NLC which has already generated shockwaves through the length and breadth of the country and may lead to mass resistance and civil disobedience in the country if Ajaero is not released immediately by the State.”

Similarly, the group condemned the alleged invasion of SERAP’s office.

It “demanded the immediate release of the NLC President and retreat from the office of SERAP to avoid undue collision with the Nigerian civil society. However, as a major Pillar of the Labour and Civil Society Front, LCSFront.

“We wish to call on our allies nationwide to immediately commence national consultations on how best to halt the growing police State in Nigeria as evidenced by the massive repression of civil and democracy space by state agent in Nigeria.”

In its reaction, Air Peace Airlines Limited denied being behind Ajaero’s arrest and explained why there was an attempt to link the indigenous carrier to the labour leader’s arrest.

In a statement signed by its spokesman, Omotade Makinwa, the airline said, “Air Peace Airline expresses deep concern over recent media reports regarding the arrest of the President of the NLC in connection to a petition filed by the airline in September 2023. This development, which has led to negative publicity, does not reflect the current relationship between Air Peace and the NLC.

“It is important to clarify the events leading up to the petition. On the 3rd of May, 2023, the NLC disrupted Air Peace operations as part of a broader conflict with the Imo State government. Although Air Peace had no involvement in the dispute between the NLC and the Imo State government, our airline was unfortunately used as a tool to exert pressure on the government. This unlawful disruption of our services caused significant financial losses and impacted the travel plans of many Nigerians across multiple states.

“In response to this disruption, Air Peace’s legal team submitted a formal petition against the NLC to the Nigerian Police. Despite our repeated efforts to follow up on the petition, the Police failed to take prompt action.

“However, over a year later, the Nigerian Police have chosen to act on the original petition, which has now led to the alleged arrest of the NLC president. Before this arrest, the airline and the NLC had already reached an amicable resolution, and Air Peace had withdrawn its petition, allowing a positive working relationship to resume between the two organisations.”