The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, was arrested Monday morning by Department of State Service operatives at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
Ajaero was about to board a flight to the United Kingdom for an official assignment when he was detained according to Vanguard.
The exact reasons for Ajaero’s arrest are unclear, but sources indicate that he has been handed over to the National Intelligence Agency. Ajaero was scheduled to attend the Trade Union Congress conference in the UK today.
Earlier, Ajaero had been under scrutiny by security agents. On August 20, he responded to a police invitation by the Intelligence Response Team. The police had summoned him on August 19, warning of arrest if he failed to appear.
However, Ajaero, through human rights activist Femi Falana, informed the Inspector General of Police that he could not attend on that date but would come on August 29 to address allegations of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.
On August 29, Ajaero, accompanied by Falana and other legal and labor leaders, attended the police headquarters. Less than 24 hours later, he and NLC General Secretary Emma Ugboaja were summoned again to the Force Headquarters on September 5. This time, they were asked to respond to allegations of criminal intimidation, conduct likely to breach public peace, and malicious damage to property.
The police summons, dated August 28, was signed by Commissioner of Police, Operations, Ibitoye Rufus Alajide. It requested Ajaero and Ugboaja to appear before the Deputy Inspector General of Police at the Force Intelligence Department in Abuja.
“We are awaiting further details on Ajaero’s situation with the DSS,” said a source. “We will provide more information as it becomes available.”
