The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed outrage after its President, Joe Ajaero, was summoned by the police over allegations related to terrorism financing and other serious charges. The invitation, which has sparked widespread concern within the labour community, was confirmed by the NLC’s spokesperson, Benson Upah, in a statement released on Monday evening.
According to the statement, Ajaero was invited by the police for an “interview” concerning charges of “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, reasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.”
The letter of invitation, dated August 19, 2024, was signed by Assistant Commissioner of Police Adamu Mu’azu on behalf of the Commissioner of Police Intelligence. The letter noted that Ajaero’s name had come up during ongoing investigations into these serious allegations.
The police directed Ajaero to report to the IRT Complex at Guzape Junction in Abuja by 10 am on Tuesday, August 20. The letter warned that a warrant of arrest would be issued if Ajaero failed to comply with the summons.
In his response, Upah highlighted the NLC’s concerns over the manner in which the invitation was delivered.
He explained, “A personal message sent to Comrade Joe Ajaero by SP Moshood stated, ‘We were at the Labour House to submit this (letter of invitation) but the place was locked, sir.’”
Upah found this suspicious, noting that NLC staff were present in the office until after 6 pm that day. He also pointed out that the letter failed to address Ajaero by his official title as President of the NLC, which he described as another irregularity.
Upah linked the invitation to the NLC’s previous clashes with the authorities, particularly the police raid on the NLC headquarters in Abuja on July 7. During the raid, security operatives, including members of the Nigeria Police Force and others suspected to be from the Department of State Services, forcibly entered the building, arrested the security guards on duty, and seized keys to the offices on the second floor.
The NLC has consistently maintained that it had no involvement in the hunger protests that recently swept across the country. Despite this, the congress had advised the government to engage in dialogue with the protest organizers and criticized the police for the high number of casualties during the demonstrations. The NLC’s National Executive Council (NEC) later issued a communique condemning the police raid and demanding an apology from both the police and the government.
At a world press conference last Thursday, the NLC warned that the police should be held accountable if anything happened to its leadership or any of its members. Upah’s statement echoed these concerns, posing the question, “Who wants Joe Ajaero out of circulation?”
The NLC has also rejected the police’s justification for the raid on its headquarters. The police had claimed the operation was part of an effort to uncover incriminating documents linked to an international “subversive” figure seen as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy. However, the NLC dismissed this explanation and demanded the immediate release of its arrested members and the return of any seized documents.
In addition to the police investigation, the NLC has raised concerns about government interference in its internal affairs. This includes a proposed reduction in the tenure of trade union leaders, which the congress views as an attempt to weaken its influence.