Arrest Of NLC President, Attempt To Cause National Anarchy – Group

The United Action Front of Civil Society has said the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero by the Department of State Services (DSS) was an attempt to cause national anarchy.

A statement signed by the spokesperson of the group, Hamisu Santuraki on Monday in Abuja, frowned at the arrest noting that steps were underway to find a lasting solution to what was described as the “growing police State” in the country.

He said: “We wish to state that the DSS has for no reason broken the civil and conventional practice earlier adopted by the police as touching security issues with well-known high-profile citizens and leaders of the people like the President of the NLC by extending invitations to them rather than employing dehumanising tactics such as forceful abduction to embarrass and intimidate them like common criminals.

“Comrade Joe Ajaero is a huge Leader of both the Labour movement and the masses of Nigeria given his popular position as the President of the NLC and therefore deserves to be treated with profound decorum and courtesy.

“Consequently, security issues with him should be handled with due process and not in the rough manner displayed by security agents today capable of causing national chaos and anarchy

“For us in the organised civil society and pro-democracy movement of Nigeria, the abduction of Ajaero today is brash and indecent on the part of Nigerian security operatives and should be condemned by all Nigerians.

“We therefore wish to unequivocally condemn this needless rascality employed by the DSS today against the President of the NLC which has already generated shockwaves through the length and breadth of the country and may lead to mass resistance and civil disobedience in the country if Ajaero is not released immediately by the State

“Ars a major Pillar of the Labour and Civil Society Front, LCSFront, we wish to call on our allies nationwide to immediately commence national consultations on how best to halt the growing police State in Nigeria as evidenced by the massive repression of civil and democracy space by State Agent in Nigeria.”