The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has convened an emergency closed-door meeting following the detention of its President, Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS). Ajaero was apprehended by DSS operatives while traveling to the United Kingdom for a global workers’ gathering.
Benson Upah, the NLC’s Head of Public Relations, reported that Ajaero was detained without a legal warrant. His current whereabouts and health status remain unknown. The NLC has condemned the detention as a “brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation” and has called for international attention to the growing authoritarianism in Nigeria.
Ajaero was set to represent Nigerian workers at the Trade Union Congress in the UK, where he was expected to address critical issues such as workers’ rights, social justice, and economic fairness. The NLC has heightened alert among its affiliates, state councils, and civil society allies, asserting that oppressive tactics will not deter their efforts.
The Congress has demanded Ajaero’s immediate and unconditional release, warning that his detention could have significant and far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s labour movement. The outcome of the NLC’s meeting will be disclosed publicly soon.