The Nigeria Police Force has been sternly cautioned by the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria not to detain Comrade Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigerian Labour Congress.
HURIWA characterised Ajaero’s accusations as a politically driven attempt to scare the labour movement and stifle opposition.
According to HURIWA, this is a “blatant attempt by the government to intimidate the labour movement, which has consistently spoken out against policies that are anti-people.”
Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, the national coordinator of HURIWA, raised grave concerns in a statement on Tuesday over President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s deterioration of democratic values, claiming that Nigeria is becoming a police state and tyranny.
According to him, the administration “is quickly transforming Nigeria into a police state, a full-fledged dictatorship, and a banana republic characterised by lawlessness, impunity, corruption, and organised chaos.”
“Not only is this pattern of repression undemocratic, but it also jeopardises Nigeria’s existence as an independent country built on justice and equity.”
HURIWA dismissed the accusations made against Ajaero, seeing them as a premeditated attempt to damage the labour leader’s reputation and weaken the labour movement’s ability to criticise the government’s policies. The group also condemned the Nigerian government’s selective application of justice as well as the widespread apprehension and imprisonment of nonviolent demonstrators.
HURIWA urged the international community to hold the Tinubu administration accountable for its actions and impose sanctions on those who violated human rights. HURIWA also called on Nigerians, civil society organisations, and the international community to defend democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Nigeria.
HURIWA declared that it “categorically rejected these charges, viewing them as a calculated effort to undermine the labour movement’s legitimate opposition to the oppressive policies of the Tinubu administration and discredit the labour leader.”
“This harassment is in response to a police raid that occurred on July 7, 2024, at the NLC National Secretariat in Abuja. The raid was widely condemned and raised questions about the government’s regard for democratic freedoms and labour rights.”
In HURIWA’s words, “the increasing pattern of repression under Tinubu’s watch is reminiscent of some of the darkest periods when military dictatorships held sway in Nigeria’s history.”
“Nigeria runs the risk of sinking into a chasm of disorder and anarchy, with catastrophic consequences for the unity and stability of the country if this trajectory is not stopped.”
The rights group went on to denounce the Nigerian government’s selective application of justice, pointing out that “corrupt politicians and officials who have plundered the nation’s wealth continue to enjoy freedom and impunity, while peaceful protestors and government critics are being hounded and detained.”