Global humanitarian organisation, Amnesty International Nigeria has condemned the current onslaught against the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, condemned the fresh allegations of terrorism levelled against the NLC and its leaders, calling them a blatant attempt to cripple the union.
The international group’s reaction comes following NLC’s threat to embark on a nationwide strike should the police detain Ajaero.
He emphasised that the government’s actions are a clear violation of international human rights laws, particularly the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees the freedom of association. “Workers cannot be targeted for participating in trade union activities,” he added.
Sanusi highlighted that in the past year, there has been an alarming increase in attempts by the Nigerian government to silence the NLC, a pattern he described as a “new low in this government’s human rights records.”
He recounted a series of incidents, including the assault on NLC President Joe Ajaero last November, when he was allegedly beaten and blindfolded by police officers in collaboration with thugs sponsored by the Imo State government.
“No one was held to account for the assault,” Sanusi noted, expressing concern over the impunity surrounding the case.
The Amnesty International Director also criticised a recent raid by the Nigeria Police on the NLC headquarters, during which documents and books were seized. Following the raid, union leaders were forced into hiding due to safety concerns.
He also mentioned the threats and intimidation faced by the NLC leadership over legitimate strike action in February, describing these as clear signs of unlawful interference by the government in the functioning of an independent workers’ union.
“The Nigerian government is clearly and unlawfully interfering with the functioning of an independent workers union by targeting its leaders with baseless accusations that are gradually crippling the activities of the union,” Sanusi stated.
He urged the authorities to “immediately end this bizarre crackdown on leaders of the nation’s labour union,” emphasising that the allegations against the NLC leadership are punitive measures aimed solely at deterring and punishing them for defending workers’ rights.
On Monday, the NPF invited Ajaero for investigation over allegations of terrorism financing, treasonable felony, cybercrime and other related offences.
The leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the Federal Government of harassing its leaders and has put its members and affiliates on red alert, threatening a nationwide strike should the Nigerian Police Force detain its president, Joe Ajaero.
The resolution was announced by the deputy president of the union, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju after an emergency meeting of the group’s National Executive Council on Tuesday.
