The President of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, yesterday, gave insight into his ordeal in the hands of operatives of the Department of the State Services, DSS, and other security agencies, following his arrest on Monday.
Recall that the DSS had seized
the NLC President’s phones and international passport after his arrest and
detention for no less than 16 hours at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International
Airport, Abuja.
However, confirming the release
of the items yesterday, Ajaero said simply: “Yes, it is true. My phones and
passport have been returned to me by the DSS.”
On his experiencein the hands
of the security agents,Ajaero said: “It was like the DSS arrested me on behalf
of the Intelligence Response Team, IRT, department of the Police because IRT
operatives came to interrogate me and take my statement, while I was detained.
‘’The DSS also interrogated me
and took my statement. I do not know why they have to embarrass me publicly
like that.
“The same IRT operatives in
whose office we were on August 29, 2024, alongside Mr Femi Falana, came and
asked the same questions I was asked in the previous meeting with them.
“They asked about the operator
of Iva Valley Bookshop on the second floor of NLC secretariat building.
“They asked me whether we had
communicated on phone, whether he (the Iva Valley operator) communicated with
me in writing and so on.
‘’They also asked if I know the protesters (#EndBadGovernance or #Endhunger), especially Eleojo Opaluwa, a staff of the National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE. I told them I knew him because I employed him at NUEE.
“They equally asked about the
Labour Party, LP, whether we are running the party. I told them we do not run
Labour Party, but that we are a trustee of the party.
“I also told them that the
Labour Party they see today was founded when Adams Oshiomhole was President of
NLC.
“Also, they asked about the
issue of Air Peace which we had settled since last year.
“It is like the security agents
are searching for evidence on how and what to nail us with. That is why they
have continued to embarrass, persecute, intimidate and do whatever they liked
to cow us.’’
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