President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, was taken into police custody during an ongoing protest organized by NLC members in the Imo State capital, Owerri on Wednesday
The protest had been marred by a group of unruly individuals who vandalized vehicles and inflicted injuries on the labour union members.
Earlier, NLC had announced their intention to stage a protest in the state, citing concerns over the alleged violation of workers’ rights and privileges by the state government.
The arrest of Ajaero reportedly occurred at 8 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Workers had gathered at the NLC State Secretariat for the protest, but the event took a violent turn as armed individuals stormed the Secretariat, attacked the workers, and forced them to disperse.
The workers regrouped at the Secretariat, this time led by NLC President Joe Ajaero and General Secretary Emma Ugboaja, ready to initiate the protest. However, as Ajaero was about to address the gathering, a team of armed police officers arrived and took him into custody, along with several NLC officials. Gunshots were fired to disperse the assembled workers.
Benson Upah, the Head of Information and Publicity for NLC, confirmed the arrest, indicating that the police had picked up Ajaero.
He said: “The NLC President was abducted by men suspected to be Policemen armed to their teeth at the Imo state NLC secretariat on Wednesday as we were about to commence our lawful protest against the violation of trade union rights of the workers”.
Also while giving an account of the incident, NLC Deputy General Secretary and Chief of Staff to the NLC President, Chris Onyeka said that he was standing with Ajaero when he was brutalised and arrested.
“As workers were gathering to protest their maltreatment by the state government in Owerri, Imo state, and the President of NLC was about to address the workers, the Police came amidst attacks by thugs to arrest Ajaero.
“Thugs first attacked and dragged Ajaero from the platform before Police came to arrest him along with another senior official of the NLC,” he said.