In a firm statement, the United Action Front of Civil Society has strongly condemned the arrest of Nigeria Labour Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS)at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
The NLC, in an earlier statement issued by its Head Media/Information, Benson Upah, confirmed that Ajaero was on his way to attend the Trade Union Congress conference in the United Kingdom when he was arrested by DSS operatives in a “Gestapo manner.”
Reacting to the development, the civil society group described the arrest as a “needless show of force” and an attempt to cause national anarchy.
They argued that Ajaero, as a high-profile citizen and leader, should have been treated with decorum and courtesy, rather than being subjected to “dehumanising tactics.”
The group, in a statement signed by the Head of Secretariat, Hamisu Santuraki, called for Ajaero’s immediate release, warning that his detention could lead to mass resistance and civil disobedience.
They also announced plans to commence national consultations on halting the growing “police state” in Nigeria.
The statement read: “The United Action Front of Civil Society frowns strongly at the needless show of force by the Operatives of the Department of State Services, DSS in abducting the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero in a gestapo manner at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on his way to attend the Conference of the Trade Union Congress, TUC in the United Kingdom, which is billed to commence today.
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“We wish to state that the DSS has for no reason broken the civil and conventional practice earlier adopted by the police as touching security issues with well known high profile citizens and leaders of the people like the President of the NLC by by extending invitations to them rather than employing dehumanising tactics such as forceful abduction against them to embarrass and intimidate them like common criminals.
“As a matter of fact, Comrade Joe Ajaero is a huge Leader of both the Labour movement and the masses of Nigeria given his popular position as the President of the NLC and therefore deserves to be treated with profound decorum and courtesy.
“Consequently, security issues with him should be handled with due process and not with gestapo tactics displayed by security agents today to cause national chaos.
“For us in the organised civil society and pro-democracy movement of Nigeria, the abduction of Ajaero today is brash and indecent on the part of Nigerian security operatives and should be condemned by all Nigerians.
“We therefore wish to unequivocally condemn this needless rascality employed by the DSS today against the President of the NLC which has already generated shockwaves through the length and breadth of the country and may lead to mass resistance and civil disobedience in the country if Ajaero is not released immediately by the State.”
The group continued, “Similarly, we condemn in strongest terms, the crude invasion of the office of the Social Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, a major civil society platform in Nigeria this Monday morning in Abuja for no stated reasons by the same Operatives of the State.
“The illegal operations of Nigerian Security Operatives without arrest and search warrants can only depict Nigeria as a panicky and drowning Police State trying to gag every civil and democratic voice in the country.
Finally, We demand the immediate release of the NLC President and retreat from the office of SERAP to avoid undue collision with the Nigerian civil society.
“However, as a major Pillar of the Labour and Civil Society Front, LCSFront, we wish to call on our allies nationwide to immediately commence national consultations on how best to halt the growing police State in Nigeria as evidenced by the massive repression of civil and democracy space by State Agent in Nigeria.”
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