CISLAC to police: Don’t silence NLC — Ajaero’s probe should be transparent

The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has urged the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) not to be used as a tool to silence the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

This call comes in response to the police invitation extended to Joe Ajaero, NLC president, over allegations involving terrorism financing.

In a statement on Wednesday, Auwal Rafsanjani, executive director of CISLAC, expressed concern over the invitation, noting that while the organisation is not opposed to the police conducting investigations, it is crucial for the process to be transparent.

“CISLAC recalls that on Wednesday, August 7, 2024, the NLC complex, popularly known as Labour House, was besieged by heavily armed security personnel,” Rafsanjani said.

“This invasion occurred just hours after the NLC’s National Executive Council meeting, where members condemned the heavy-handed tactics employed by security agents during the #EndBadGovernance protests.”

According to CISLAC, the NLC president was summoned by the office of the deputy commissioner of police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), over allegations of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.

The invitation, outlined in an official letter, required Ajaero to appear for an interview on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at the IRT Complex in Guzape, Abuja.

Rafsanjani warned that this action has the potential to “damage” the global reputation of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, as it could be perceived as an “attempt to stifle civil liberties”.

He advised the president to personally ensure that measures are taken to prevent the “demarketing” of his administration.

Ajaero, who was initially invited to meet with the police on Tuesday, rescheduled the meeting to Wednesday, August 29, 2024, citing his unavailability on the earlier date.