‘They asked me to say last prayer’ — Ajaero narrates Imo assault

Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has explained how he was assaulted by some “thugs in the presence of the police” in Imo state. 

On November 1, Ajaero was picked up by security operatives in Owerri, the Imo state capital, at the state council secretariat of the NLC.

Ajaero’s arrest was on the morning NLC planned to ground activities in Imo over the alleged violation and abuse of the rights and privileges of workers.

Speaking on Friday in Abuja, Ajaero said the police operatives handed him over to some suspected thugs for beating.

‘HOW I WAS HANDED OVER TO THUGS BY POLICE’

The NLC president, who wore a neck straightener and black shade to cover his swollen eyes, said the thugs asked him to say his “last prayers” and threatened to throw his body into a river. 

“There were no security agency in this country that didn’t know we were going to Imo,” Ajaero said.

“We wrote the DSS, we wrote the police, we wrote everybody. When we got there, the events started unfolding.”

The labour leader said NLC ordered  workers in the state who have not been paid to come out and for the governor to “see the thousands of people”.

“It was in the event of doing that the following day that we got reports that workers that arrived as early as 7 am were beaten up and their belongings seized. Around 9 am, I went there with the assistance of 20 security personnel,” he said.

The NLC president said he was about to address the press at the NLC secretariat in the state when some men in plain clothes came to withdraw the security men behind him. 

Ajaero said one of the men arrested and handed him over to the thugs.

“That was how they dragged me on the floor. About seven people. I can’t explain the beating. But they tied my nose, eyes, and hitting me with all manner of instruments,” he said.

“They were asking me why I am a challenging group, that I should say my last prayer. They said they are going to throw me inside a river.

“The same people carried me to the police headquarters. The police were standing outside as if they were waiting for a common criminal.

“They transferred me to another bus and I was taken to where they called the Tiger base. It was there they brought out different court orders and started interrogating me.”