The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has been released on bail around 11.25pm by the Department of State Security (DSS) a few minutes to the midnight ultimatum issued by the unionists.
Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on his way to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.
He was billed to attend the British Trade Union Congress’ (TUC) conference in London, which started yesterday.
A national officer of the NLC, who confirmed his release to Daily Trust, explained that the secret police said the labour leader was released on bail.
Activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, also confirmed his release via a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday night.
Also, human rights activist and one of the lawyers of the NLC, Deji Adeyanju, confirmed the release of the labour leader.
He said: “Yes, he has been released.”
At least three other sources in the security circle confirmed the development to the Daily Trust when contacted around 11.50pm, shortly before we went to press.
Earlier in the day, members of the organised labour, comprising the NLC and the TUC had threatened to shun their respective places of work and some critical facilities that are driving Nigeria’s economy in protest against the arrest of Ajaero….[CONTINUE READING HERE ▶▶]
This was just as the leadership of the NLC put its over 50 affiliate unions and state branches on standby for protest, if Ajaero was not released by or before midnight.
Also speaking about Ajaero’s travails, one of his lawyers, Maxwell Opara, said that the labour leader had informed the DSS about his trip to the United Kingdom for an official engagement.
He told Premium Times that the DSS had invited Ajaero a couple of days ago via a telephone call but that he told the secret police that he would honour the invitation on Monday, 16th September, 2024, upon his return from the UK to Nigeria.
“They (DSS) invited him on the phone. He told them that he was engaged with the World Trade Union Congress. He had committed to meeting with the DSS on Monday when he returns from the UK,” Opara said yesterday.
There was back and forth over the development yesterday as the NLC described the labour leader’s arrest as “an attempt to suppress its members’ voice” amidst biting hunger and hardships.
Ajaero was grilled for hours at the secret police’s headquarters in Abuja before his release last night.
Security sources, who were familiar with the development, confided in our correspondent that the labour leader was intercepted over alleged terrorism financing – similar allegation over which the Nigeria Police Force had earlier levelled against him.
Another source told Daily Trust that the labour leader was earlier invited by the secret police based on issues that border on “national security”, after a petition was submitted against him but that he refused to honour the invitation.
