The Department of State Services (DSS), last week, arrested the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. Ajaero was on his way to London to attend a conference of the Trade Union Congress of the United Kingdom. The secret police not only stopped him from attending the international conference, they detained him and seized his passport. This happened a few days after the Nigerian police invited him to answer questions relating to criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, and cybercrime. The DSS, which released him shortly before midnight of the day of his arrest, did not give any concrete reason for its action.
The secret police did not give any cogent reason for the alleged invasion of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by some its operatives. SERAP is a known critic of the government. Recently, it urged President Bola Tinubu to instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to reverse the recent increase in the pump price of petrol at its retail outlets. It condemned the invasion of its Abuja office, describing it as a brutal assault on the entire human rights community in the country.
The DSS swiftly denied invading the SERAP office. According to the secret police, a team of two unarmed operatives were lawfully detailed on routine investigation to SERAP office in Abuja. It added that “such official enquiries and liaison are traditional and does not in any way amount to illegality or raid.”
We wonder what prompted this routine investigation in the first place. We also wonder why the Service arrested investigative journalist, Adejuwon Soyinka, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos shortly after his arrival from London on August 25. It seized Soyinka’s passport, but later released it, saying his arrest was a case of possible mistaken identity. This is sad.
Also saddening was the treatment meted out to some protesters who demanded end to hunger and bad governance in August. The police have charged some of them with alleged treason, intent to destabilise Nigeria, conspiracy to commit felony and inciting to mutiny, among others. A few days ago, a Federal High Court in Abuja granted them bail in the sum of N10m each and one surety in like sum but barred them from participating in any protest throughout their trial. Ironically, those in government now had bankrolled protests against governments in the past.
We wish to state that the government’s response to the harassment of protesters and opposition leaders by security agents is feeble. The Presidency said in a statement that Ajaero’s arrest was lawful. The statement signed by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, noted that the NLC President’s detention was sequel to his alleged failure to respond to a previous summons. He added that no person was above the summons of law enforcement agencies and lawful investigation. The NLC has since dismissed this allegation, saying Ajaero was never invited by the DSS.
It is pertinent to note that the manner of the labour leader’s arrest was in bad taste. Only during military dictatorship did we hear of such style of arrest and intimidation of the opposition.
It is the image of the country that suffers. We are desperately in search of foreign investors. But no investor will come under this type of atmosphere. Government should learn to be tolerant of opposing views and respect the democratic rights of all Nigerians. That is what democracy is all about. Our leaders have to watch it so they are not seen to be having absolute disregard for the rule of law.
We advise the new Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Ajayi, to tread cautiously. There are decent ways to treat people in a democracy. There are many things to worry about now in the country. The economy is in a comatose state. People are dying of hunger and acute hardship. Terrorists and kidnappers have made life miserable for the people. Government and its agents should not worsen matters by intimidation of defenceless citizens. They should find solutions to the country’s myriads of problems and stop fiddling while the country burns.
It is imperative to note that treason is a serious offence that should not be trivialized in any way. We call for open and transparent trial of those who are already charged with such serious offence. Government should also realise that it is not above the law. It should respect and protect the civic rights of citizens and avoid reducing the country to a laughing stock in the comity of nations.