ABUJA, Nigeria — The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has confirmed the arrest of its president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, by state agents at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja earlier today. Ajaero was reportedly taken into custody while en route to the United Kingdom for an official assignment, with his current whereabouts unknown.
In a statement released by Benson Upah, Head of Information and Public Affairs for the NLC, the union demanded Ajaero’s immediate release and called on its state chapters to remain on high alert. According to Upah, Ajaero’s arrest was carried out without a legal warrant or any formal notice, an action the NLC decried as lawless and an attempt to intimidate labor leaders.
“This morning, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, was seized and whisked away by agents of the Nigerian State while on his way to the United Kingdom on the invitation of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain,” the statement read. “We are yet to ascertain his whereabouts or his state of health as all efforts we have made to get in touch with him have proved abortive.”
Ajaero was scheduled to address a global gathering of workers at the Congress of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the UK, where discussions on workers’ rights, social justice, and economic fairness were to take place.
Upah condemned the arrest as an “affront to democratic and natural rights,” stating that Ajaero is not a fugitive and his detention lacks any legal justification. “His detention is a brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation,” the NLC stated. “The mere contemplation of not just stopping a lawful citizen from travelling but also sequestering his freedom is an affront to our democratic and natural rights as a people and as workers.”
The NLC accused the Nigerian government of silencing dissent amid growing discontent over its economic policies, which have sparked widespread hardship and discontent across the nation. “This is an unmistakable demonstration of the height of lawlessness being perpetuated by the Nigerian government and its agencies in their bid to silence every voice of dissent and opposition,” Upah added.
In response, the NLC called on the international community, human rights organizations, and democracy advocates to take note of the “rising wave of authoritarianism” in Nigeria. The union urged for global solidarity against what it described as an assault on civil liberties, and demanded not only Ajaero’s release but also the release of all Nigerians detained for exercising their democratic rights.
“In light of this troubling development, the Congress puts all its affiliates, State Councils, civil society allies, and all patriotic Nigerians on the highest state of alert. The Congress will not stand idly by while the rights of its leaders and members are trampled upon,” the statement said.
The NLC leadership is currently holding a closed-door meeting to determine its next course of action, with further announcements expected in the coming days.
The Nigerian government has yet to comment on Ajaero’s arrest.
