DSS Releases Joe Ajaero After 15 Hours in Custody, Confiscates Passport
After spending over 15 hours in detention, the Department of State Services (DSS) granted administrative bail to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero.
While he was released around 11 p.m. on Monday, Neusroom learned that his passport was seized by DSS operatives.
On Monday, September 9, Ajaero was detained by the DSS at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport. Ajaero, who was preparing to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official engagement, was abruptly intercepted by the DSS.
Although the reason for his arrest was not confirmed, Femi Falana (SAN) stated that it was not connected to his invitation by the police. His detention sparked widespread condemnation.
“Ajaero is not a fugitive or a criminal, and his detention is an act of intimidation aimed at silencing dissent and stifling the labour movement’s voice in Nigeria,” read a statement signed by NLC Deputy President, Prince Adewale Adeyanju.
The statement continued: “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. The NLC reaffirms its commitment to defending the rights of Nigerian workers and citizens.
“Congress will not relent in its efforts to oppose all forms of oppression. NAC-in-session, therefore, summons an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) by 9:00 a.m. tomorrow (today), September 10, 2024, to take compelling action to engage the current forces of retrogression.”
Other workers’ unions also demanded Ajaero’s release.
The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), in a statement by its Acting General Secretary, Igwebike Dominic, demanded Ajaero’s immediate release while putting Nigeria’s power sector on red alert.
“Joe Ajaero has been detained and treated like a fugitive that he is not, without access to his lawyers, family, or colleagues. This brazen act of intimidation and harassment is a violation of his fundamental rights and freedoms as a Nigerian citizen,” the statement said.
Similarly, the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN) and the United Action Front of Civil Society (UAFCS), among others, also demanded his release.
