Mark Dickinson, president of the UK Trades Union Congress (TUC), said that the TUC “condemns” the arrest of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero by National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu. Dickinson shared his statement on September 10, shortly after Ajaero was released.
“Joe had been intending to talk to us about the persistent harassment and intimidation of him and his NLC colleagues by the Nigerian government,” said Dickinson. “Joe was released late last night, but it is clear his ordeal is not yet over. This unlawful arrest is a gross violation of fundamental trade union freedoms and, in arresting him on his way to speak to us, of the essential trade union right to seek solidarity. We condemn the actions of the Nigerian government, and demand they end their persecution of Joe Ajaero.”
According to VOA, Ajaero was arrested on Monday at Abuja airport while en route to the UK for a labor conference. He said he was questioned for hours about alleged terrorism financing and protests that took place in Nigeria last month over the economy. The arrest occurred days after Ajaero spoke out against Nigerian officials’ decision to increase gasoline prices by 39%. The cost of gas in Nigeria has more than quadrupled since last year when President Bola Tinubu ended fuel subsidies.
Federal Newswire reported that National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu ordered the arrest. Ribadu has already faced criticism for imprisoning U.S. citizen Tigran Gambaryan, an employee of the crypto exchange Binance, and is now being criticized for using his position to silence dissent. Labor organizations and human rights advocates say Ribadu’s arrest of Ajaero was an attempt to intimidate the labor movement as strikes loom over the country’s economy.
World Politics Review reported that Nigerian citizens participated in “ten days of rage” from August 1 through August 10, protesting the country’s cost of living crisis and economic instability. Tens of thousands participated in the protests, resulting in more than 1,000 arrests.
Nicholas Anthony, a policy analyst at the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives, said tensions related to the devaluation of the naira escalated in February. According to Anthony’s commentary, Nigerian officials pointed to cryptocurrency as the cause of the naira’s fall. The Nigerian government invited employees from Binance, including Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, to discuss the issue; however, they were detained and are now facing criminal charges. Anthony said that rather than blaming the crypto industry, the Nigerian government should take accountability for causing the naira’s devaluation through its “on-again, off-again price controls.”
The TUC comprises 48 member unions representing more than 5.5 million workers, according to its website. The organization is headquartered in London.
