In a turn of events, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday morning.
Ajaero was on his way to attend an official engagement organized by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the United Kingdom when he was detained.
The NLC, through its verified account on X (formerly Twitter), announced the arrest, stating: “The Assault on Nigeria Workers Continues, President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero was arrested and abducted by men of DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport Abuja this morning on his way to attend an Official engagement of TUC United Kingdom and he is now detained at the office of the NSA.”
Ajaero’s arrest comes amid ongoing accusations of subversion and funding terrorism, accusations that have led to his being invited by security agencies for questioning twice in recent weeks.
The labor leader has been a vocal critic of government policies, particularly on issues affecting Nigerian workers, and his detention is expected to heighten tensions between labor unions and the government.
As of the time of this report, there has been no official statement from the DSS or the National Security Adviser (NSA) regarding the reason for his detention. Labor unions and civil society organizations have condemned the arrest, calling for his immediate release.
