The Imo police command has denied arresting Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in Owerri, the state capital. Earlier, it was reported that Ajaero was taken into custody by heavily armed police officers.
Henry Okoye, spokesperson for the Imo police command, stated that the NLC president was involved in a heated argument with individuals who resisted the picketing of the airport in the state. To prevent a potential attack on Ajaero, the police took him into protective custody at the state police headquarters.
Okoye explained, “The commissioner of police thereafter directed that he should be taken to the Police Medical Services, Owerri, where he would be accorded medical attention as a result of the attack. He was therefore accorded adequate security cover to proceed on his other legitimate engagements for the day.”
It was noted that there is a court injunction from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Owerri, dated October 27, 2023, which bars the NLC from holding a planned protest rally in Owerri. The police commissioner urged all parties to comply with the court directives to maintain security arrangements in the state.
The NLC had previously announced its intention to stage a protest in Imo from November 1 to protest the alleged violation of workers’ rights and privileges, with Joe Ajaero alleging that the Imo government has not paid some workers for 20 months.
