BBC Pidgin of Monday, 9 September 2024

Source: BBC

NLC confam say DSS arrest dia president Joe Ajaero

Joe Ajaero Joe Ajaero

Di Nigeria Labour Congress don confam say di Department of State Services (DSS) don gbab dia president Joe Ajaero on Monday, 9 September.

Tok-tok pesin of di union, Benson Upah tell BBC News Pidgin say Ajaero bin dey on im way to di United Kingdom to attend di Trade Union Congress conference for London wen dem pick am up for Abuja airport.

Ajaero arrest dey come afta one wey im honour police invitation sake of di investigation into alleged terrorism financing.

Meanwhile, details about im arrest neva dey clear as di Nigeria anti-corruption neva confam yet say di organised labour union leader dey dia custody.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) allege say di DSS gbab am witout any legal warrant or formal instrument.

For inside statement, NLC say Ajaero no be fugitive and say im arrest no dey justifiable by di law.

Sake of di arrest, di NLC don put all dia affiliates, state councils, civil society and odas on di highest alert.

"In light of dis troubling development, di Congress don put all dia affiliates, State Councils, Civil society allies and all patriotic Nigerians on di highest state of alert.

"Di congress no go stand dey look while di rights of dia leaders and members dey trampled upon."

We demand for di immediate and unconditional release of comrade Joe Ajaero, NLC tok.

Di NLC president, Joe Ajaero don dey di eye of di storm for some time now since di end bad governance protest.

Afta di 10-day end hunger and high cost of living protest wey start on 1 August to 10 August, di Nigeria Labour Congress on 8 August bin raise alarm 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.

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.

On 29 August, di Nigeria Police invite Oga Ajaero for di second time to show for di police headquarter, Abuja on Thursday, 5 September.

Di police say na in continuation of dia investigations into di alleged case of "criminal intimidations, conducts wey likely to cause breach of public peace and malicious damages to properties", wia im name bin show.