Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday honoured the invitation of the police to appear at the force Intelligence Response Team’s (IRT) office. On 19 August 2024, the police invited Comrade Ajaero for questioning over “a case of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime”. The letter of invitation
Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday honoured the invitation of the police to appear at the force Intelligence Response Team’s (IRT) office.
On 19 August 2024, the police invited Comrade Ajaero for questioning over “a case of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime”. The letter of invitation signed by Mr Adamu Mu’azu, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), indicated that Ajaero was expected at the IRT complex on August 20.
ACP Mu’azu said an arrest warrant would be issued on Comrade Ajaero if he did not honour the invitation. But Comrade Ajaero declined the invitation for that date but promised to honour the invitation on August 29.
On 29 August 2024, some members of affiliate unions and labour leaders across states converged on the Labour House ahead of Comrade Ajaero’s visit to the IRT.
Afterwards, Comrade Ajaero and his Lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), alongside other activists, left the building for the IRT and returned to the Labour House soon after.
Nigerians took to the streets from 1 August -10 August 2024 to protest against economic hardship and soaring inflation with #EndBadGovernance as the theme.
But during the protest, precisely on 7 August 2024, Police Operatives raided the NLC building in the Central Business District of Abuja. The NLC said operatives who raided the building “claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGovernance protests”.
Subsequently, Dr Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), said one of the masterminds of the Sudan conflict was traced to the NLC headquarters. The IGP added that police detectives traced the foreigner to a shop within the Labour House and that operatives did not raid the entire secretariat
The NLC president appreciated all affiliate unions for their solidarity and promised to continue the struggle. “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,” he said jocularly.
“The labour movement is worth dying for because of the patriotism and commitment. The labour movement is one of the biggest pan-Nigerian organisations. Our patriotism, from the days of colonial government to even the period of the military, is unshakeable.
“We have gone there, and we are back. You can’t do this job we are doing without this type of matter. It’s expected. This is the hazard of the job. We are out to continue the struggle. We have gotten minimum wage, but we have to press for its implementation as soon as possible.
“Every other thing that will make the welfare of Nigerian workers to be worthwhile, we’d be involved in it. We’d not listen to any distractions. I didn’t know that I was this loved.”
Mr Maxwell Okpara, deputy lead counsel of the NLC president, said: “There is no cause for alarm. What we heard was quite different from what was in the invitation letter”.
“Now that they have learnt their lessons and corrected themselves, we have taken it in that manner. The police said they just wanted to ask the NLC president one or two questions in respect to the tenant that is here”, Okpara added, adding: “That does not mean that we are going to relent because we don’t know what will come up next. We will get ourselves prepared.
He added: “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”.
