Police: NLC president not arrested in Imo — we rescued him from mob attack

The police command in Imo says its officers did not arrest Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in Owerri, the state capital.

Earlier on Wednesday, Benson Upah, media head of the NLC, said Ajaero was picked up from the Imo council secretariat of the NLC by heavily armed police officers.

“President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, was picked up a few minutes ago from NLC state council secretariat by heavily armed policemen in Owerri and taken to an unknown destination,” Upah had said.

Reacting to the development, Henry Okoye, spokesperson of the Imo police command, said the NLC president had a heated argument with some individuals who resisted the picketing of the airport in the state.

Okoye said to prevent an attack on Ajaero, the police took the NLC president into protective custody at the state police headquarters.

“Upon receiving this report, the Imo police command swiftly deployed police operatives to the scene where the officer in charge exercised his operational discretion by taking the NLC president into protective custody at the state command headquarters to ensure the protection of his life and that he was not lynched in the scuffle that followed,” the Imo police spokesperson said.

“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 is however necessary to emphasize the existence of a court injunction from the National Industrial Court of Nigeria holden in Owerri with Suit No. NICN/OW/41/2023 dated 27th October, 2023, barring the NLC from holding the intended protest rally in Owerri.

“The Commissioner of Police, Imo State Police Command, CP Mohammed Ahmed Barde, therefore urges all concerned parties to ensure compliance with the Court directives so as to avoid jeopardizing the current security arrangements on Owerri and other parts of Imo State, even as the State gears up for the forthcoming electioneering process on 11th November 2023.”

On October 30, the NLC promised to ground activities in Imo from November 1, to protest the alleged violation of rights and privileges of workers.

Ajaero had alleged that the Imo government has not paid some workers for 20 months.