The Nigerian government has explained why Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was recently arrested. They said it was a legal action and not a violation of human rights. This explanation came after some people in the UK accused the Nigerian government of mistreating Ajaero.
Bayo Onanuga, a special adviser to President Bola Tinubu, said that Ajaero was taken by the Department of State Services (DSS) because he hadn’t responded to an earlier request from them. Onanuga emphasized that everyone, including Ajaero, must follow the law.
The Trade Union Congress in the UK started a conference where their leader said things about human rights abuses in Nigeria. He claimed that Ajaero was stopped from traveling abroad because he ignored an invitation from the law enforcement agency.
The Nigerian government was accused of mistreating Joe Ajaero, but the government explained that he ignored a legal summons.
Another part of the statement said, “No one is above the law in Nigeria, just like in the UK and other developed nations. Our country follows the rules set by our Constitution.”
“We reject any claims about human rights violations in Nigeria. The Trade Union Congress in the UK is wrong and has misunderstood the situation.”
The Nigerian government also mentioned that under President Tinubu, they respect civil rights and are working well with labor groups even though they sometimes disagree on policies.
They asked Ajaero to help with the ongoing investigation and not to make people feel bad about Nigeria’s security agencies. They also said that labor unions sometimes oppose government plans that are meant to help the economy, like when they didn’t support selling refineries.
The government assured Nigerians and the world that they are focusing on policies to grow the economy and make the country prosperous, despite some current challenges.
Important Information
On Monday, Joe Ajaero was arrested at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja by DSS agents while he was getting ready to fly to the UK for a Trade Union Congress conference. After his arrest, the NLC’s National Administrative Council demanded his release and called for a lower petrol price and immediate implementation of the new minimum wage.
Ajaero was let go by the DSS late on Monday, and the NLC confirmed his release early on Tuesday.
Before this, Ajaero had met with the police on August 28 to answer questions about serious allegations including criminal conspiracy and terrorism financing. He was released the next day. Later, both Ajaero and NLC Secretary General Emmanuel Ugboaja were called to the police station again on September 5 over charges like criminal intimidation and disturbing public peace. They attended this meeting with the famous human rights lawyer Femi Falana.