Opinion leaders and political analysts accuse President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of using the security forces and judiciary to harass and intimidate opposition voices against his anti-people policies, these are united in their conclusion that Abacha’s ghost has entered into the incumbent President
By Augustine Ojeikhoa
On Wednesday, September 11, 2024, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja decided on the bail application of the 10 people charged with treason in relation to the #EndBadGovernance protests that took place between the 1st and 10 of August 2024.
Justice Emeka Nwite set the bail at N10 million for each defendant, requiring a surety with property in Abuja worth the bail amount. The sureties must also submit their passports to the court.
The defendants, who were arraigned on September 2, pleaded not guilty to six charges, including plotting war and attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu. Their lawyers argued that the evidence did not support the treason allegations.
The charges against the defendants include inciting mutiny, destabilizing Nigeria, and waging war against the state. They were also accused of attacking police officers, burning police stations, and destroying other properties.
Counsel for the 1st-4th defendants, Abubakar Marshal, urged the Federal Government to reconsider the charges, highlighting that 49 additional protesters remain detained at Kuje Correctional Centre under court order.
The case was adjourned to September 27 for trial.
Officers from the Department of State Service (DSS) took the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) last week.
SERAP has since sdescribed the action as an ‘unlawful occupation’.
This was contained in a statement released by SERAP on its X handle on Monday September 9, 2024.
According to SERAP, officers of the Secret Police demanded to meet with the organisation’s directors.
Hence, SERAP has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene.
“President Tinubu must immediately direct the SSS to end the harassment, intimidation and attack on the rights of Nigerians,” SERAP urged.
This is coming barely 24 hours after the organisation urged Tinubu to leverage his leadership and authority to instruct the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited to promptly reverse the seemingly illegal and unconstitutional hike in the pump price of premium motor spirit, commonly known as petrol, at its retail outlets. The DSS is yet to tell Nigerians the offence SERAP committed against the nation.
Also, operatives of the DSS arrested the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero.
It was gathered that Ajaero was arrested on Monday morning, September 9, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on his way to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.
The NLC president was billed to attend the Trade Union Congress Conference in London, which began that Monday.
Confirming the arrest, NLC said, “The assault on Nigerian workers continues. President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, was arrested and abducted by men of the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, this morning on his way to attend an official engagement of TUC United Kingdom, and he is now detained at the office of the NSA.
“This intimidation and assault must stop!!!”
Recall that the Nigeria Police Force had invited and interrogated Ajaero over allegations of terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, and treasonable felony.
His invitation came in the wake of a night raid by the police on the NLC national secretariat in Abuja.
The police are alleging a link between the labour leader and a Briton, Andrew Wynne, who has been accused of financing the recent #EndBadGovernance protest in the country to allegedly overthrow the government of President Tinubu.
Following Ajaero’s first appearance on August 29, the police, in another letter signed by the Commissioner of Police, Operations, Ibitoye Alajide, on behalf of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department, Abuja, asked him to appear again on Thursday, September 5, alongside the NLC General Secretary “to answer questions over alleged criminal intimidation, conducts likely to cause a breach of public peace, and malicious damage to property.”
The letter read: “In furtherance of investigations into the alleged case of criminal intimidation, conducts likely to cause breach of public peace and malicious damage to properties in which your name featured, you are requested to come along with Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja for an interview with the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department, FID, through the undersigned, at SPO’s Room 112, 2nd Floor, Force Intelligence Department (FID) Complex, Shehu Shagari Way, opposite Force Headquarters Area 11, Garki, Abuja on Thursday, 5th September 2024 at 11 am.”
But the NLC, has described as untrue and mischievous reports that its President, Joe Ajaero, was invited by DSS, but failed to honour the invitation, leading to his arrest.
The NLC said it was not in Ajaero’s character to disregard invitations and precedents attest to his regards for authorities.
Following the uproar that greeted the DSS action, the Presidency said no one was above the law. Also, the government said, Ajaero should have honoured the security agency’s invitation.
Furthermore, the narrative that Ajaero snubbed the DSS invitation gained traction, prompting the NLC to react and “set the records straight”.
NLC, in the statement by its Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, said: “Our attention has been drawn to a story (circulating in different media platforms) linked to ‘sources within the agency (DSS)’ that preceding his arrest, Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, was invited by the DSS but that he did not honour the invitation.
“The ‘sources’ further added that it was reason for his arrest at the airport on his way to the UK.
“In the days preceding his arrest, Congress President had had a discussion with the Director-General, DG, DSS on a courtesy visit.
“A Director in the agency later called the General Secretary of the Congress on the need to fix a date for the courtesy visit. The General Secretary however explained to him that he would not be available until Friday (September 13).
“The said Director assured him they would give Congress leadership a notice of not less than 48 hours for the visit.
“The DG DSS last spoke with Comrade Ajaero on Saturday night during which Ajaero told him he would be travelling the next day, Sunday, adding that the courtesy visit would be paid after his return on Friday, September 13.
“The Congress President, however, missed his flight on Sunday and had it rescheduled to Monday, September 9th.
“It was on that Monday morning he was picked up by the operatives of the DSS in a watch list operation on behalf of a sister agency.
“We want to re-affirm that Joe Ajaero is a law-abiding citizen heading the biggest pan-Nigerian organisation with an illustrious history of patriotism and will certainly not snub the DSS.
“He is a trade unionist of international repute, who serves on the executive boards of world federations of trade unions. His constituency goes beyond Nigeria.”
In his reaction to these actions by the DSS, Deji Adeyanju, lawyer to the #EndBadGovernence protesters, in a terse post on his X handle, took a dig at the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
He claimed that the next set of persons to be picked up by the Tinubu’s government, are former Presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Omoyele Sowore of the PDP, LP and AAC respectively.
Adeyanju wrote, “General Bola Ahmed Tinubu: Arrested 2,400 protesters; arrested NLC President; invaded SERAP office.
“Next will be to arrest Atiku, Obi and SOWORE and say they are planning coup. Abacha must be proud. Kudos General Bola, more please.”
The lawyer did not, however, provide evidence to back up his claim but the DSS has said it would arrest Sowore any time his legs touch Nigeria.
A newspaper columnist, Majeed Dahiru captures Ajaero’s arrest in these lines: “Why is Ajaero being hounded by Police and SSS at a time when you are negotiating with labour, in time of draconian policies and insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians. Citizens will think it is an act of intimidation against organized labour and citizens to avoid any social action against Tinubuu government.
“Nigerians expect advancement in freedom under Tinubu government. If Ajaero issued statement against fuel price increase, is that a crime?”
Benson Upah, the NLC Head of Information also came hard on the Federal Government over Ajaero’s arrest. He said, “FG is looking for something to divert attention. This is how dictatorship starts. No invitation was extended to us before this arrest. The government has policies it wants to unravel but does not want opposition voices. We’ll keep on protesting with the last drop of our blood.”
In their reactions, the Public Service International (PSI) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have warned the Federal Government against clampdown on trade unions and opposing voices.
Reacting to the invasion, invitation, arrest and subsequent seizure of the Nigerian passport of the President of NLC, Ajaero, the global federation of more than 700 trade unions, representing 30 million workers in 154 countries, observed that democracy would be endangered in an atmosphere where freedom of expression is denied.
The General Secretary of the body, Daniel Bertossa, condemned the treatment meted out to the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, by the government.
Ajaero, is also the General Secretary of the PSI-affiliated National Union of Electricity Employees of Nigeria. PSI said it was closely monitoring the actions of the government relating to the way it was treating Nigerians who expressed opposition to some of the government policies that could deepen poverty and threatening existing jobs.
“Our message to the Nigerian Government is that our global union movement is closely monitoring the ongoing harassment of Nigerian union leaders and will not accept this sort of intimidation. Arrests of our comrades, such as Joe Ajaero, are damaging Nigeria’s international reputation. We call on the government to respect international labour rights and release all unlawfully imprisoned unionists and members and end this campaign of harassment,” he stated.
In his remarks, the General Secretary, NASU, Peter Adeyemi, said government actions towards labour leaders seemed to suggest a government intolerant of criticism by Nigerians with opposing views.
Adeyemi, who is also the PSI’s Vice President representing Africa and Arab, added: “The arrest of Comrade Ajero is not only an unnecessary witch-hunt but a clear attempt on the part of the Nigerian government to intimidate and harass Nigeria trade unions leaders. Even during the reign of the military, we didn’t witness this level of excessive use of state powers to intimidate and coerce labour leaders.”
He noted that rather than suppress the voice of dissent, the government should redress its anti-people policies towards the emancipation of the downtrodden Nigerian workers. He observed that while Ajaero had now been released on bail, the intimidation of activists and union leaders was causing concern around the world.
The Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere has also condemned the actions of the government against opposition voices. The Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Justice Faloye, accused President Tinubu’s administration of committing economic treason against Nigeria and therefore has no justification to continue holding innocent Nigerians that participated in the recent #EndBadGovernance protests in custody.
Faloye said that Nigeria was gradually returning to the days of the military despot, the late Gen. Sani Abacha, under whom any perceived opposition was hounded into prison.
He said that the Afenifere was concerned about the way things are going and not only the harassment of President of the NLC, Ajaero, “but we have hundreds of people that are being prosecuted for treason for partaking in the hunger protests. How do you charge people for treason for partaking in hunger protests? How do you charge people for treason for partaking in protest against the disruption of their economic livelihood?”
Faloye also flayed the government for going after SERAP and the recent arrest and release of the Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa, Adejuwon Soyinka.
Faloye, who stated that the Afenifere does not have factions but those who for prebendal motives decided to go with Tinubu, said: “Tinubu did nothing as governor in Lagos State. He is not the father of new Lagos.”
A vocal Human Rights Lawyer, Inebehi Effiong has also reacted to the two notable actions carried out by operatives of the DSS last week.
Joining in the flurry of reactions, Effiong, in a series of posts on his X handle, condemned the actions of the DSS and opined that the spirit of the late Head of State, General Sani Abacha, has taken over the presidential villa.
Effiong wrote, “The spirit of Sani Abacha has taken over the presidential villa.”
Sani Abacha was Nigeria’s Nigerian military dictator and statesman, who the generality of the country believed ruled Nigeria with an iron fist from 1993 following a palace coup d’état until his sudden death in 1998.
“According to reports, he wielded power with an unyielding attitude and his rule heralded an unprecedented total disregard for human rights with several political assassinations and summary executions of dissidents and political opponents in Nigeria.
The reports further added that his rule drew disrepute to the country, with Nigeria becoming a pariah state in international relations, particularly with regard to the execution of environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa”.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has rejected accusation of rights abuse made against it by the United Kingdom (UK) Trade Union Congress (TUC), over the arrest of Joe Ajaero. The Federal Government, in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the NLC president was arrested by operatives of the DSS because he refused to honour the invitation of a law enforcement agency carrying out an investigation.
“The Nigerian government was wrongly and falsely accused of rights abuse because the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, was stopped from travelling abroad after he snubbed the invitation of a law enforcement agency conducting an ongoing investigation.
“Clearly, under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended), no person is above the summons of law enforcement agencies and lawful investigation.
Government’s position came on a day Ajaero gave insight into his ordeal in the hands of operatives of DSS and other security agencies, following his Monday arrest”.
