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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the police of assaulting its President, Joe Ajaero, following his arrest in Imo State on Wednesday afternoon.
Benson Upah, the Head of Media and Publicity for NLC, confirmed Mr. Ajaero’s release in a statement. He stated, “Contact was made with Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero this evening around 15:30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri, from where he was taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where he is currently receiving medical treatment.”
The police claimed that Mr. Ajaero was taken into custody for his protection, but the NLC asserted that he was brutally treated after his arrest.
“Thoroughly brutalized, his right eye was completely shut at the time of contact,” Mr. Upah stated. “Ajaero, who said little, mentioned that immediately after his arrest, he was beaten and blindfolded and taken to an undisclosed location where further brutalization occurred, sometimes involving the use of bottles.”
Furthermore, Mr. Ajaero’s phones, money, and personal belongings were confiscated and have not been returned to him, according to Mr. Upah.
He was apprehended by the police at the NLC secretariat in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, on Wednesday.
Mr. Ajaero was in the state for the NLC’s statewide protest and strike, which was prompted by the union’s concerns about the lack of respect for workers, unpaid salaries and pensions, and other issues.
As news of the incident spread, with the NLC accusing the police of kidnapping its leader, the Imo State Police Command issued a statement, explaining that Mr. Ajaero was taken into custody for his safety.
A statement by the Command’s spokesperson, ASP Okoye Henry, read in part, “It is important to state that the NLC President was in Owerri as part of the Congress’s preparations to mobilize workers for a major protest rally in the state.
“While planning, suggestions emerged to lock down certain essential facilities, particularly the airport, which led to some workers and other individuals resisting the picketing process, resulting in scuffles, heated arguments, and an eventual attack on the president by a mob.
“Upon receiving this report, the Imo Police Command quickly deployed police operatives to the scene, where the Officer in Charge exercised his operational discretion by taking the NLC President into protective custody at the State Command Headquarters to ensure his safety and prevent him from being lynched during the altercation.
“The Commissioner of Police then directed that he should be taken to the Police Medical Services in Owerri, where he would receive medical attention due to the attack. He has since been provided with adequate security to continue with his other legitimate engagements for the day.”
The police spokesperson also explained that a National Industrial Court injunction, dated October 27, 2023, had prohibited the NLC from conducting the planned rally.
However, this stance conflicts with the NLC’s belief that Mr. Ajaero was mistreated after his arrest, not before.
Meanwhile, the Imo State Government has denied any involvement in the arrest. The Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, referred to those accusing the government of being behind the arrest as “chronic troublemakers who always cry wolf where there is none” in a statement.
