DSS Succumbs to Pressure, Grants Ajaero Administrative Bail

 

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero has been released by the Department of State Services following his arrest on Monday.

 

He was granted administrative bail by the agency following threat by labour unions to embark on strike if he's not released.

 

Joe Ajaero who was arrested at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, was said to be on his way to England to attend a conference.

 

But the Labour leader was granted an administrative bail by the secret police before midnight.

 

The NLC had convened an emergency meeting after Ajaero’s arrest after which it issued a communique condemning the arrest and detention of the embattled Labour leader.

 

The communique which was issued by NLC Deputy President Adeyanju Adewale, had demanded the immediate and unconditional release before the midnight of Monday even as it criticised Ajaero’s detention calling it an unwarranted act of intimidation designed to silence dissent and suppress the labour movement’s voice in Nigeria.

 

The communique had also asked the Federal Government to immediately reverse the pump price of petrol which was recently hiked  to N617.

 

The communique said: “The NLC will not stand idly by while these rights are violated. This provocation appears to be an attempt by the State to undermine the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage”

 

The NLC said it had scheduled an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) for Tuesday to take a decision on the situation.