The Department of State Services (DSS) has released Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). Ajaero confirmed his release, stating that he was allowed to return home around 11 p.m. on Monday after being detained and questioned for nearly 15 hours.
His arrest took place at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja around 7 a.m. that same day.
Though Ajaero was released, his travel passport was confiscated by the DSS. He revealed that, in addition to the DSS interrogation, he was also questioned by police officers at the DSS office regarding the #EndBadGovernance protests, which occurred across Nigeria in August.
Ajaero was reportedly interrogated over allegations of terrorism financing, specifically involving a British national named Andrew Wynne. He had been on his way to the United Kingdom to attend an event organized by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) when he was arrested at the airport.
The NLC had strongly condemned Ajaero’s detention, giving the DSS a deadline of midnight on Tuesday to release him. The union also placed its affiliates, state councils, civil society partners, and the general public on high alert in response to what it described as a troubling situation.
Several groups and individuals, including the TUC, Amnesty International, and human rights lawyer Femi Falana, criticized the Nigerian government for targeting the labour leader, demanding his immediate and unconditional release.
This incident followed an earlier encounter in late August, when Ajaero was invited by the police to answer questions related to allegations of terrorism financing, which he has consistently denied.
He was also previously detained in November 2022 in Imo State, where he had planned to lead a protest over unpaid workers’ salaries and other issues.
