The Department of State Services (DSS) has reportedly taken into custody none other than Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).the very man who has been a thorn in the side of the government on labour matters is now apparently behind bars. But as with most things in Nigeria, there’s likely more to this story than meets the eye.
From what was gathered Online has gathered, Ajaero’s arrest wasn’t just some random pick-up, it happened at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday morning. The timing, of course, couldn’t have been more interesting. He was on his way to London for a pretty official assignment. He was supposed to attend the Trade Union Congress (TUC) conference in the United Kingdom, a conference that begins today.
One could argue that this incident has the handprints of intimidation. After all, what better way to send a message to the labour unions than to arrest their top leader right before an international event? It’s almost as if someone, somewhere, wants to keep Ajaero quiet or at least remind him who’s really in charge. And what better way to do that than to prevent him from attending a high-profile event in the UK, where he would likely have made some noise about the state of labour relations in Nigeria?
So, what happens next? Will Ajaero be released quietly, or will this escalate into something much bigger? As the situation unfolds, we’ll keep you updated on what happens next.
