The Nigeria Labour Congress has confirmed that its President, Joe Ajaero has been invited by the police over issues bordering alleged terrorism financing.
The spokesperson for the congress, Benson Upah, made this known in a signed statement.
The letter of invitation, dated August 19, 2024, and signed by ACP Adamu Mu’azu on behalf of the Commissioner of Police Intelligence, said Ajaero’s name was mentioned in ongoing investigations connected to “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, reasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime”.
The letter also directed Ajaero to report at the IRT Complex, Abbattoir by Guzape Junction on Tuesday, August 20 at 10 am, threatening that a warrant of arrest would be issued against him if he failed to report.
Speaking in the statement, Upah said a personal message sent to Comrade Joe Ajaero by SP Moshood telling him that they were at the Labour House to submit the letter but the place was locked. He expressed wonder because according to him, staff was in the office beyond 6 pm.
The statement also observed that Comrade Joe Ajaero was not addressed by his official title of President of the Nigeria Labour Congress.
The statement referenced the raid on the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress and noted that before the incident, the Congress had advised the government to have a dialogue with the organisers of the (hunger) protest while making it very clear that the Congress was not part of the protest.
However, in its NEC communique after the raid, the congress criticised the police for the high casualty rate during the protest and expressed outrage at the behaviour of the police and demanded an apology from both the police and the government.
Recall that on July 7, security agents conducted a night raid on the NLC national secretariat in Abuja.
According to the NLC spokesperson, Upah, the operatives burst into the building at about 8.30 pm and arrested the security guards, forcing them to hand over keys to the offices on the second floor.
Upah said, “The security operatives, some from the Nigeria Police Force, some wearing black tee-shirts, presumably from the Department of State Services, and others on outright mufti, swooped on the 10th Floor of the NLC and arrested the security operative on duty and then commandeered him to the second floor where he was asked to produce the keys to the offices.”
The police took responsibility for the operation, saying it was aimed at uncovering incriminating documents that could help build a case against an international “subversive” figure considered a threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
Last week, the NLC rejected the explanation offered by the police on the raid and demanded the release of its arrested members and seized documents.
The NLC also criticized government attempts to interfere with the organisation’s internal affairs, including a proposed reduction in the tenure of trade union leaders.
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