Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), has returned to the Labour House after answering an invitation from the police over allegations of terrorism financing, treasonable felony, and cybercrime.
Ajaero appeared at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday morning, accompanied by prominent human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, and others.
After writing his statement, Ajaero left the headquarters of the police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) at approximately 11:15 am.
Although he did not address journalists at the IRT headquarters, he promised to speak at the Labour House.
The police invitation, reportedly linked to an investigation into terrorism financing, sparked controversy, with the NLC and other labor unions accusing the Federal Government of attempting to intimidate labor leaders.
Before Ajaero honored the invitation, NLC members gathered at the union’s headquarters in Abuja in solidarity with their president. The invitation followed a police raid on the NLC national secretariat in Abuja, which further heightened tensions.
The NLC National Executive Council held an emergency meeting on August 20, where they condemned the police action, describing the allegations against Ajaero as politically motivated and designed to silence organized labor.
The Council also criticized the short notice of the police invitation and called for a postponement of Ajaero’s appearance.