Nigeria Labour Congress president Joe Ajaero tell police wen im go honour dia invitation ova terrorism financing allegations

Di president of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, say im no go fit honour Nigeria Police Force investigation on Tuesday, 20 August.

Ajaero respond to di invitation wey police sama am on Monday, 19 August through im lawyer Femi Falana.

Di statement signed by Samuel Ogala, Esq on behalf of di legal team to reply to di Inspector-general of police, say di NLC president don get anoda engagement for Tuesday 20 August, 2024 wey di police say make e come dia office and di invitation letter no come fast.

“We get di instructions of comrade Joe Ajaero to inform you say e dey unable to honour your invitation on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 sake of say e receive your invitation letter yesterday. E get engagement wey don dey fixed bifor e receive di invitation letter.”

Di legal team add say “comrade Ajaero dey prepared” for di interview on Wednesday, August 29, 2024.

Dem also dey request for di details of di allegations wey dem dey sama am.

Nigeria Labour Congress threaten nationwide strike as police invite union leader over terrorism financing allegations

Meanwhile, NLC don threaten indefinite nationwide strike if anytin happun to dia president Joe Ajaero or any oda union leader.

NLC bin tok dis one afta dem call one emergency meeting to discuss di Nigeria Police Force invitation to dia national president on Tuesday.

On Monday, police invite Ajaero for investigate on top allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy and treasonable felony.

Di invitation letter wey dem date 19 August 2024, wey ACP Adamu Muazu bin sign on behalf of di Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team, order Ajaero to present imsef for questioning by 10:00 on Tuesday.

Di letter also add say if im no show, dem go issue warrant of arrest on do labour leader.

Inside one statement wey dem release afta di emergency meeting, di union make some resolutions.

Di union say all dia affiliate and state councils dey on standby to begin indefinite strike by 12 midnight on Tuesday, if anything happun to dia president or any oda union member.

NLC say, as law abiding pipo wey dem be, dia president go honour di invitation, but dem demand say make police extend di time, come add say dis acceptance no mean say di “baseless allegations” pure.

E no end dia, dem also condemn wetin dem describe as “continued harassment of di leadership of di NLC and oda labour leaders.”

"NEC direct all affiliates and state councils to immediately commence di process of mobilizing dia members across di nation. Di Congress no go hesitate to take all necessary actions, including mass protests and industrial actions, to protect di integrity and independence of di labour movement. If anything happen to di President of di Congress or any oda leader of di Congress in furtherance of dis allegations by di State; NEC put all im affiliates and state councils to proceed on indefinite nationwide strike action by 12:00 Midnight today." Di statement add.

NEC also call on all civil society allies and di general populace to stand in solidarity with di Nigeria Labour Congress in dis critical moment.

Last week, di police raid di national headquarters of labour on top allegation say dem dey pursue one international criminal wey be threat to di kontri.

NLC bin react by demanding apology from di security agents.

But for dia recent statement, di labour union say, instead of apology, di police dey intimidate, harass and witch-hunt dem.

Meanwhile, Amnesty condemn di Nigeria police action against Joe Ajaero.

For inside one statement, wey di director of di organisation, Isa Sanusi sign, e describe di police action as Nigeria goment attempt to intimidate union for di kontri.

Sanusi say, “Amnesty International dey deeply concerned about Nigerian authorities fresh attempts to further intimidate and harass Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) through threats of arrest of im President Joe Ajaero.”

E add say under international human rights law and African Charter on Human and Pipo Right, goment no fit target workers for union activities.

“In di last one year, Amnesty International don observe increasing attempts by di Nigerian government to silence di umbrella labour union, through trying by hook and crook to use state institutions to discredit dem. Dis na a new low for dis government human rights records.

“For Nov. last year, police in connivance with thugs sponsored by Imo state government in Owerri beat di President of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Mr. Joe Ajaero and blindfold am. No one don dey held to account for di assault. Recently, Nigeria Police raid di headquarters of NLC and carry away documents and books." Amnesty statement tok.

Police raid NLC HQ complex

Last week, police bin raid di second floor of NLC complex for Abuja.

Tok tok pesin for di police, Muyiwa Adejobi bin explain say dem raid di building becos one international criminal bin dey inside di building.

Adejobi bin say di tenth floor na wia NLC HQ dey, but na one different office dey di second floor wia dem bin raid.

E say dem bin go search for some documents to establish dia case and dem bin recover evidence.

E also bin say, from evidence wey dem bin get, dem discover say, landlord-tenant relationship dey between di NLC and di international criminal syndicate wey dem bin arrest some of dia members.

Meanwhile, Police no respond to calls to tok more about di reason for inviting di NLC leader for questioning.