Amnesty International has stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is cracking down on human rights and increasing restrictions on civic space with the arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the invasion of the office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP).
The New Daily Prime earlier reported that the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Mr. Ajaero and invaded the SERAP office in Abuja on Monday. However, Mr. Ajaero was released on Monday night, while the Service stated that its personnel had entered the SERAP office in Abuja to conduct a routine investigation.
The human rights organization, in a statement signed by its Director, Isa Sanusi, stressed that Mr. Tinubu’s administration is setting a troubling precedent with its blatant disregard for the rule of law.
The statement read in part: “Amnesty International strongly condemns the unlawful arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), by the Department of State Services (DSS) today. The labor union leader must be immediately and unconditionally released. President Bola Tinubu’s government persistently attacks and undermines the operations of the NLC through fabricated allegations, raids on NLC headquarters, and other forms of harassment and intimidation. This growing culture of impunity and disdain for workers’ rights to organize and seek better welfare must stop.”
The group criticized Mr. Tinubu’s administration, stating that it was overstepping its bounds in a repressive attempt to silence dissenting voices.
“Amnesty International has observed, over the past year, an increasing crackdown by Nigerian authorities on the labor union and civic space. The authorities continue to weaponize the police and DSS to repress the human rights of Nigerians. Nigeria is a party to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantee the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association, including trade union membership and activities. The country is also a member of the International Labour Organization, whose fundamental principles, including the right to organize, are binding on all members.”
“Under international human rights law, workers cannot be targeted for participating in trade union activities. The Nigerian authorities have an obligation not only to respect the rights of workers but also to protect these rights from abuse. Joe Ajaero was arrested solely for the peaceful exercise of his human rights and must be immediately and unconditionally released,” the statement further added.
