Ajaero Departs Police HQ, Declares Labour Movement is ‘Worth Dying For’
Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), made a return to the Labour House in Abuja on Thursday morning after attending a scheduled appearance at the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) office.
Ajaero’s visit to the IRT came after the police had summoned him for questioning on Monday, August 19.
The police had cited serious allegations including criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime. The initial invitation, which was supposed to be honored on August 20, threatened an arrest warrant if Ajaero failed to comply.
The NLC president had previously declined to appear, demanding clarity on the nature of the allegations against him.
On Wednesday, August 7, police had raided the NLC headquarters in Abuja, claiming they were searching for materials related to the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The police later clarified that their operation was focused on a foreign individual allegedly linked to the Sudan conflict, not the entire NLC secretariat.
The #EndBadGovernance protests, which saw Nigerians taking to the streets from August 1-10 to protest economic hardship and inflation, had intensified scrutiny of the NLC. In a show of solidarity, affiliate union members and labour leaders gathered at the Labour House ahead of Ajaero’s IRT visit.
Following his questioning, Ajaero, accompanied by human rights lawyer Femi Falana and other activists such as Deji Adeyanju, returned to the Labour House. He expressed gratitude for the support from union members and emphasized his commitment to the labour movement.
“I want to thank everyone. I want to thank all comrades in the states who have been praying. Those that have been fasting since morning can now break their fast,” Ajaero said with a touch of humour.
He reassured supporters of his unwavering dedication, stating, “The labor movement is worth dying for because of the patriotism and commitment. Our patriotism, from the days of colonial government to even the period of the military, is unshakeable.”
Ajaero also pledged to continue advocating for workers’ welfare, including pressing for the implementation of the minimum wage and addressing any other issues impacting Nigerian workers.
Maxwell Okpara, Deputy Lead Counsel for Ajaero, downplayed concerns, noting that the situation was less severe than initially feared. He urged ongoing vigilance and called for the release or prosecution of individuals detained during the #EndBadGovernance protests, emphasizing that their detentions exceeded legal limits.
“We are also using this medium to ask for the release or prosecution of all those arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protest. They have been detained for longer than stipulated by law,” Okpara added.
