Di president of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, don return to di union headquarters for Abuja afta im honour di invitation of di Nigeria Police on Thursday, 29 August.
Di Police bin ask Ajaero to report to dia headquarters on August 20 sake of one terrorism financing investigation wey dem dey do wey Ajaero name dey inside.
But Ajaero bin reply to di Inspector-general of police, say di NLC president bin get anoda engagement for Tuesday 20 August, 2024 wey di police say make e come dia office.
Di legal team statement wey Samuel Ogala sign add say “Comrade Ajaero dey prepared” for di interview on Thursday, August 29, 2024.
Meanwhile, NLC bin order make all dia members dey for di police headquarters for different states, till dia president come out.
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Wetin happun on Thursday
Plenty members of NLC and some from di Trade Union Congress (TUC) bin gada for di NLC headquarters for Abuja to escort Ajaero go answer di police, and di plan be say dem go dey dia dey sing protest songs until Ajaero come out.
However, Femi Falana (SAN) wey be di legal representative of di NLC bin beg di members say make dem remain for di Labour House and make im and Ajaero and some of dia lawyers and NLC executive members go di police headquarters.
“I promise una say dis meeting no go take long and we go come back,” Falana tok.
Afta dem comot, NLC members remain for Labour House dia dey sing solidarity songs, and e no reach two hours, Ajaero and di lawyers come back.
“We tell una say we no get anytin to hide,” Ajaero tok as e dey greet di NLC members wey gada to welcome am. “Dis one no go shake our resolve to continue to dey engage wit goment for di welfare of Nigerian workers.”
E also explain di reason why e no go answer di police on August 20 as dem bin first invite am be say e dey run one academic programme and im exam bin fall inside dat time.
Anoda lawyer for di NLC legal team, Maxwell Opara, tell di crowd say wen dem reach di police headquarters, “wetin dem tell us dey different from wetin dem bin write inside di letter of invitation”.
“Dem tok say dem invite Ajaero sake of mata wey involve one tenant wey dey stay for di Labour House building. But we don ansa dem and we dey prepared if dem bring up anoda mata,” Barr Opara tok.
Brief background
Di Nigeria Labour Congress on August 8, 2024, tok say some men of di Nigeria Police and di Department of State Services (DSS) break into di NLC headquarters building and carry away some of dia material.
According to di NLC, di attack bin happun around past 8 in di night and di police no inform dem of dia visit.
Di DSS tok say no be dem carry out di raid, but some days later, di police issue statement wia dem tok say na dem do di operation but no be di NLC be di target.
“Di Nigeria Police Force wish to clarify say one prime criminal suspect for ongoing investigation bin dey traced to a shop wey dey inside di building for di Central Business District, Abuja,” police tok-tok pesin Olumuyiwa Adejobi bin write.
“Detectives, wey get di appropriate legal authority, bin conduct one operation for di location, wey turn out to be di NLC building. Dis well-coordinated, lawful operation na solely to apprehend di prime suspect – one foreign national wey dey implicated for numerous criminal activities across Nigeria and oda African kontris.”
However, days later, di NLC publish invitation letter wia di police invite Joe Ajaero, di NLC president to come and ansa questions on top investigation of terrorism wey dem mention im name.
In response, Ajaero lawyers tell di police say im no go fit come on dat day – August 20, but e go come on di 29th.
Dem also request for di details of di allegations, but e no clear if di police bin give dem di full details.
Di NLC kon threaten indefinite nationwide strike if anytin happun to dia president or any oda union leader.
Di union leaders say all dia affiliate and state councils dey on standby to begin indefinite strike by 12 midnight on Tuesday, if anytin happun to dia president or any oda union member.
NLC say, as law abiding pipo wey dem be, dia president go honour di invitation, e add say di 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.”
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