The Delta Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to let due process take its course regarding the police invitation to its president, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
Abaniwonda made this appeal on Thursday, August 29, when the Delta chapter of the NLC held a protest in support of Ajaero at the state police headquarters in Asaba. The protest was led by the NLC’s first Vice-Chairman in the state, Comrade Ziko Okwudi.
Ajaero, who recently received a police invitation over alleged involvement in terrorism, attended the meeting in Abuja on Thursday.
The Commissioner of Police stated that Ajaero’s invitation was meant to facilitate an interactive session to assist with the police investigation.
“As a security agency, our role is to investigate. We are not intimidating or witch-hunting the NLC president,” Abaniwonda said. “The invitation was simply to gather information regarding the allegations. No one has been threatened with arrest, and I assure you that it is purely an interactive process.”
Abaniwonda also appealed to the NLC not to jump to conclusions before the investigation concludes.
He praised the NLC in Delta for conducting their protest peacefully and encouraged them to remain calm and law-abiding. He emphasized that the Federal Government (FG) is not attempting to intimidate the NLC or its leadership but rather aims to collaborate with labor for the nation’s benefit.
NAN reports that the NLC members were initially greeted by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Aina Adesola, who assured them of a fair process.
“I must commend you for the peaceful manner in which you conducted your solidarity protest. The police are your partners in progress,” Adesola said. “The authorities will handle this matter justly. The Federal Government values the contributions of labor to the nation’s growth.”
Earlier, Comrade Ziko Okwudi, the NLC’s first Vice-Chairman in Delta, expressed the union’s disappointment with the situation involving their president.
Okwudi described the incident as an attack on the labor movement in Nigeria and stated, “We stand in solidarity with our national president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, who is facing accusations that we believe are unfounded. Labor has no involvement in terrorism, and we will not allow these accusations to tarnish our movement.”
He urged the Federal Government to handle the allegations against their president with caution, reaffirming the NLC’s commitment to protecting the welfare of the citizens.
