Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), is set to honor a police summons concerning allegations of treason, terrorism financing, and other serious crimes. In response, the NLC has mobilized its members for a peaceful march across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, to show solidarity with Ajaero.
The police had initially requested Ajaero to appear at their headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, August 20, to answer questions about his alleged involvement in terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, and treasonable felony.
This request followed a police raid on the NLC national secretariat in Abuja, which authorities claimed was to find evidence related to the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest and other alleged seditious activities.
However, the NLC National Executive Council (NEC) criticized the police actions and labeled the charges against Ajaero as “trumped-up and politically motivated.” During an emergency meeting, the NEC demanded a postponement of Ajaero’s appearance, citing inadequate notice.
The NLC’s legal representative, Femi Falana (SAN), wrote to the police, asking for the date to be changed to August 29, due to Ajaero’s prior commitments.
In preparation for Ajaero’s appearance, the NLC General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, issued a circular on Wednesday, calling on all state councils and affiliate associations to mobilize their members for a peaceful procession and prayer session.
The circular emphasized that NLC members in Abuja should gather at the national headquarters by 8 a.m. to accompany Ajaero to the police headquarters. Members in other states are to assemble at their respective state secretariats and march to the state police headquarters to conduct a prayer session.
The NLC made it clear that the march is intended to be a peaceful demonstration against what they see as an attempt to silence the organized labor movement. They urged all participants to remain orderly during the procession and prayer session.
The NLC also warned that if Ajaero is detained, all workers across Nigeria would embark on an indefinite strike to defend their civic rights and the integrity of the labor movement.
The union’s call for solidarity marks a significant stand against what it describes as “unjust actions” and aims to protect the rights of Nigerian workers.
