The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has strongly warned the Nigeria Police Force against arresting the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero.
HURIWA described the allegations against Ajaero as politically motivated and an attempt to suppress dissent and intimidate the labor movement.
HURIWA said this was a “blatant attempt by the government to suppress dissent and intimidate the labour movement, which has consistently spoken out against anti-people policies.”
In a statement on Tuesday, HURIWA’s national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, expressed deep concern over the erosion of democratic principles under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, stating that the government is turning Nigeria into a dictatorship and police state.
He said the government “is swiftly turning Nigeria into a full-blown dictatorship, a police state, and a banana republic marked by lawlessness, impunity, corruption, and organized chaos.
“This pattern of repression is not only undemocratic but also threatens Nigeria’s survival as a sovereign nation founded on justice and equity.”
HURIWA rejected the charges against Ajaero, viewing them as a calculated effort to discredit the labor leader and undermine the labor movement’s opposition to the government’s policies. The organization also denounced the mass arrest and detention of peaceful protesters and the selective application of justice by the Nigerian authorities.
HURIWA called on Nigerians, civil society organizations, and the international community to defend democracy, human rights, and the rule of law in Nigeria, and urged the international community to hold the Tinubu administration accountable for its actions and impose sanctions on individuals responsible for human rights violations.
HURIWA said it “categorically rejected these charges, viewing them as a calculated effort to discredit the labor leader and undermine the labor movement’s legitimate opposition to the Tinubu administration’s oppressive policies.
“This harassment follows a police raid at the NLC National Secretariat in Abuja on July 7, 2024, an incident that sparked widespread condemnation and raised concerns about the government’s respect for labor rights and democratic freedoms.”
According to HURIWA, “the growing pattern of repression under Tinubu’s watch is reminiscent of some of the darkest periods in Nigeria’s history when military dictatorships held sway.
“If this trajectory is not halted, Nigeria risks plunging into an abyss of chaos and anarchy, with dire consequences for the unity and stability of the nation.”
The rights association further condemned the selective application of justice by the Nigerian authorities, noting that “while peaceful protesters and government critics are being hounded and detained, corrupt politicians and officials who have plundered the nation’s wealth continue to enjoy freedom and impunity. ”
