The Department of State Services (DSS) has released Nigerian labour leader, Joe Ajaero, after detaining him for nearly 15 hours. Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was taken into custody on Monday morning at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while en route to the United Kingdom for a Trade Union Congress (TUC) event. He was released around 11 p.m. the same day.
Upon his release, Ajaero confirmed that while the DSS allowed him to return home, they confiscated his passport. During his time in custody, he was reportedly interrogated by the DSS and the police concerning the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests held in August and an alleged link to terrorism financing involving a British national, Andrew Wynne.
ALSO READ ‘Why I can’t honour your invitation today’, Ajaero writes IGP
The NLC had swiftly condemned the arrest, giving the DSS a midnight Tuesday deadline to release Ajaero. The union mobilized its affiliates, state councils, civil society allies, and the public in response to what they termed a “troubling development.” Prominent figures such as the TUC, Amnesty International, and human rights lawyer Femi Falana also criticized the Federal Government’s actions and called for Ajaero’s immediate and unconditional release.
This arrest marks the second high-profile detention of Ajaero, following a November 2023 incident in Imo State where he was apprehended while preparing to lead a protest over unpaid workers’ salaries. Despite ongoing allegations, Ajaero has maintained his innocence, particularly regarding the recent accusations of terrorism financing.
