Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), is free to leave detention after the Department of State Services (DSS) granted him bail. As previously reported by Naija News, Ajaero was detained by DSS agents on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport while en route to the United Kingdom.
The leader of the NLC was supposed to be in the UK for a Trade Union Congress (TUC) session. The National Administrative Council (NAC) of the NLC met in emergency session after Ajaero’s detention to discuss the arrest and decide on next steps.
The NLC categorically denounced Ajaero’s arrest and imprisonment by security personnel at the conclusion of the meeting. Before 12 midnight, it further sought the unconditional and prompt release of its incarcerated president. The labor union said that all Nigerian workers were the target of the arrest. The NLC also put all of its affiliates, state councils, and Nigerians on red alert in a press release that was sent out following the meeting and was signed by its deputy president, Adeyanju Adewale.
He said that Ajaero’s arrest represents yet another effort to stall the introduction of the new minimum wage. The union further urged that the price of gasoline be immediately reversed to ₦617 per liter. The NLC called an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) for tomorrow, September 10, to assess the situation and take further action as part of its mobilization for additional action.
The NLC issued a warning to the government to halt the hazardous practice of suppressing dissenting voices and vowed to continue fighting for the freedom and rights of all Nigerians, including laborers.
