The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government to release its President, Joe Ajaero, by midnight. This demand comes as labor unions brace for potential industrial action.
Ajaero was detained on September 9, 2024, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while traveling to the United Kingdom for a Trade Union Congress meeting. The NLC’s National Administrative Council condemned the arrest as “brazen and illegal,” citing it as an affront to workers’ rights and democratic principles.
In addition to calling for Ajaero’s immediate and unconditional release, the NLC has also demanded the reversal of a recent petrol price hike to ₦617 per litre.
The NLC’s Deputy President, Adeyanju Adewale, stated, “The council unequivocally condemns the brazen and illegal detention of Comrade Joe Ajaero by the Nigerian state without any legal warrant or justification.”
The NLC has warned that if Ajaero is not released by midnight, its affiliates and civil society organizations will be on high alert, and a nationwide strike could be imminent. The council has scheduled an emergency meeting to discuss further actions against what it views as government authoritarianism and lawlessness.
The United Action Front of Civil Society has also criticized the arrest, calling it a “needless show of force” intended to incite chaos. The arrest comes amid earlier concerns regarding Ajaero’s involvement in protests and allegations linked to the #EndBadGovernance movement.