The Legal Adviser to NLC, Mr Femi Falana has said that the police had failed to provide a substantial reason for the arrest of NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
“The invitation to Comrade Joe Ajaero by the police was rescheduled last week. I have contacted the police authorities. The arrest is not related to the police invitation.
“Comrade Ajaero was on his way to London to attend the ongoing TUC conference when he was arrested at the airport this morning (yesterday) by the DSS. No reason has been provided for the arrest,” Falana said.
Ajaero Released
Meanwhile, sources familiar with the development noted that the NLC president has been released late Monday by the Department of State Services (DSS) after much speculation by the public due to his previous encounter with the police.
Prior to his release, an emergency meeting was held by the National Administrative Council (NAC) headed by the Deputy President, Prince Adewale Adeyanju who said the meeting was “to address the alarming and unlawful arrest and detention of Ajaero”.
“His detention is an affront on the rights of workers and the democratic principles of freedom of movement and expression,” NAC stated.
Members who condemned the arrest of the NLC president and called for his immediate release were the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC; National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE; Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, MWUN; Amnesty International; Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; United Action Front of Civil Society, UAFCS; and Human Rights Writers Association, HURIWA.
DSS Invade SERAP Office
In a related development, the Abuja office of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a prominent advocacy organisation, was on Monday occupied by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian security agency.
In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), SERAP condemned the raid and called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene, urging him to “immediately direct the DSS to cease the harassment, intimidation, and attacks on Nigerians’ rights”.
While expressing concerns about the increasing crackdown on civil society groups and human rights defenders in Nigeria, Falana described the exercise as “an abuse of power.”
