The Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria’s domestic intelligence agency, has granted administrative bail to Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), following several hours of detention in Abuja. Ajaero’s arrest had generated widespread concern and speculation about the reasons behind his detention.
A top source at the DSS confirmed that Ajaero had been released on administrative bail, saying, “The NLC President has been released on administrative bail and he is on his way out.” Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore also confirmed Ajaero’s release, stating that the government had freed him from DSS custody on bail, and calling for continued resistance to bad governance.
One of the lawyers from Femi Falana Chambers, Barrister Marshal Abubakar, played a key role in facilitating Ajaero’s bail.
Earlier, the NLC strongly condemned Ajaero’s arrest and detention in a statement by Benson Upah, the union’s Head of Information and Public Affairs. The union declared that Ajaero had been detained without a legal warrant or formal charges, stating, “Joe Ajaero is not a fugitive. His detention is a brazen act of lawlessness and intimidation.”
The NLC accused the government of using authoritarian tactics to silence dissent as the country faces economic hardship. The statement continued, “This is an unmistakable demonstration of the height of lawlessness being perpetuated by the Nigerian government and its agencies in their bid to silence every voice of dissent and opposition in the country.”
The union called for the immediate and unconditional release of Ajaero and urged the international community, human rights organizations, and democracy advocates to take note of the increasing authoritarianism in Nigeria. The NLC emphasized that it would continue to defend workers’ rights and resist the state’s oppressive actions.
The union also demanded the release of all Nigerians imprisoned for exercising their democratic rights, including participants in the #EndBadGovernance protests. The NLC further mentioned that its internal organs were holding a closed-door meeting to determine their next course of action.
Several human rights activists, lawyers, and civic organizations condemned Ajaero’s arrest, criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration for adopting repressive measures against dissenting voices.