The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to shut down the country if its leader, Joe Ajaero, is detained.
In a press briefing on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at the Labour House in Abuja, the NLC warned that any attempt to arrest Ajaero, who was scheduled to respond to a police summons, would result in a nationwide strike.
The NLC criticised the government, labelling those in power ‘as the real terrorists’ for allegedly exacerbating hardship and poverty in Nigeria. The union stated, “Any attempt to detain Ajaero from 12am today will lead to a complete shutdown of the country. We will close down Nigeria.”
One of the labour leaders further accused the government of misappropriating funds and failing to address the country’s economic challenges. “The true terrorists are those in government who are stealing our money and plunging us into poverty. They should examine their actions, as they are robbing us of our wealth,” he said.
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The labour leader also criticised the government’s offer of N70,000, describing it as insufficient and unjust. “You are offering us N70,000 while threatening us. We must be prepared for a revolution,” he declared.
In a related development, prominent NLC members and counsels to the union President, including Femi Falana, Opara, and Deji Adeyanju, accompanied Ajaero to the Force headquarters for questioning.
Recall that Femi Falana, lawyer to Joe Ajaero, in a letter, had replied to the Police summon of Ajaero for question over alleged terrorism financing, among other allegations, stating that Ajaero would be unable to honour the Nigeria Police Force’s invitation, till August 29, due to a prior engagement scheduled before the invitation was received.