One year after Ajaero’s arrest, labour vows to keep fighting
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has made it clear that no level of intimidation, brutality, or political pressure will silence the voice of Nigerian workers. Marking one year since the controversial arrest of its president, Joe Ajaero, the union says every attack on labour leadership only deepens its resolve to fight against anti-people policies.
In a statement signed by Acting General Secretary Benson Upah, the NLC called Ajaero’s 2024 arrest a “shameful attempt” to shut down dissent and isolate Nigerian workers from global solidarity.
Ajaero was detained while heading to UK conference
Ajaero was picked up at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on September 9, 2024, while on his way to attend the UK Trade Union Congress conference in London. According to the NLC, the arrest was politically motivated — aimed at shielding elites from accountability and preventing workers from building international support.
“It was an attempt to whip labour into line so that neoliberal policies — privatisation, tariff hikes, subsidy removals, wage suppression — could proceed without resistance,” the statement said.
“They tried to silence us — but it backfired”
The NLC linked the airport arrest to an earlier brutalisation of Ajaero in Owerri, where he was attacked by state agents during a protest. Despite promises from the National Security Adviser to investigate, no one has been held accountable.
Instead of weakening the labour movement, the NLC says the events of September 9, 2024, mobilised workers nationwide and drew global attention to the state’s heavy-handed tactics.
“It was a miscalculation by the ruling class… the arrest exposed the anti-worker character of the Nigerian state.”
Workers urged to mobilise, not retreat
The NLC reminded Nigerians that repression is a tool used by systems that serve the elite, not the people. With rising taxes, increased borrowing, and shrinking public services, the union says now is the time for stronger unity and louder resistance — not silence.
“The working class is the backbone of democracy and social justice,” the union said. “Our strength lies in unity, solidarity, and our commitment to national sovereignty and the security of all Nigerians.”
Final message: we’re not the problem — we’re the patriots
As part of its one-year anniversary message, the NLC also pushed back against narratives that paint labour movements as disruptive.
“We are not troublemakers. We are patriotic citizens working for a better Nigeria — one that serves all, not just a privileged few.”
