The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed outrage following the arrest of its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS) and is demanding his immediate release. The NLC has warned that failure to comply could result in a nationwide shutdown by workers across the country.
According to a statement issued by NLC’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Comrade Benson Upah, Ajaero was apprehended on Monday morning while en route to the United Kingdom to attend a global workers’ conference organized by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of Britain. The arrest has sent shockwaves through Nigeria’s labour movement, raising concerns about the government’s increasingly authoritarian stance toward dissent.
“We have been unable to establish any contact with Comrade Ajaero since his detention, and his whereabouts remain unknown,” the statement said, expressing grave concern for his safety and well-being. The NLC also emphasized that Ajaero was not a fugitive, nor had he been declared wanted by any law enforcement body, describing his detention as an unjustified act of intimidation.
The NLC further condemned the arrest as a demonstration of lawlessness, accusing the Nigerian government of attempting to silence opposition amidst growing public unrest over economic policies that have deepened hardship across the nation.
In response, the NLC has put all its affiliates, state councils, civil society allies, and the wider Nigerian public on high alert. The labour union is calling for immediate and unconditional release of Ajaero and a cessation of harassment against labour leaders and citizens. The Congress also called on the international community and human rights organizations to take note of what it described as a rising wave of authoritarianism in Nigeria.
“The NLC remains committed to protecting workers’ rights and will not be intimidated. We will continue to fight against any form of oppression,” the statement concluded.
The NLC has also hinted at the possibility of further actions, with key Congress organs currently in closed-door meetings to determine the next steps.
