The Nigerian Presidency has rejected UK TUC's human rights abuse claims over the arrest of NLC President Joe Ajaero. The DSS detained Ajaero for failing to respond to a summons. The Presidency emphasized that Ajaero is not above the law, dismissing accusations as baseless and founded on misinformation.
The Nigerian Presidency has dismissed claims by the UK Trades Union Congress (TUC) regarding alleged human rights violations following the arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Ajaero was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) after failing to honor a law enforcement summons.
According to a statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, the arrest was lawful, emphasizing that no individual, including Ajaero, is above the law. The DSS had been investigating Ajaero based on a petition from Air Peace Airlines. Onanuga refuted accusations made by the UK TUC, which claimed Ajaero’s arrest was a violation of his human rights, describing the assertions as “unfounded” and based on a misunderstanding of the situation.
Ajaero had been arrested at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport while en route to the UK for a conference organized by the UK TUC. The NLC demanded his immediate release, which occurred later that night. The Nigerian government stressed that the arrest was not politically motivated and had nothing to do with Ajaero’s role in the labor movement. Onanuga further noted that such a situation would not be tolerated in the UK or any other developed country, where law enforcement agencies are respected.
The Presidency assured that while disagreements between the government and labor unions may arise, there is always room for dialogue, rejecting any claims of an adversarial relationship.
