By Cross Udo and Cajetan Mmuta
One person is feared dead as security agents whisked away the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, at the ongoing protest in Owerri, the Imo state capital.
This came as miscreants descended on protesters, smashing vehicles, inflicting injuries, and dispossessing handsets from labour members that had gathered at the NLC State secretariat.
In the heat of the fracas, armed security personnel whisked the NLC President to an unknown destination, but he was later released.
The NLC President alongside other members of the Central Working Committee (CWC) were at the state secretariat in Owerri to begin the planned strike action against what they called the government’s insensitivity to the plight of workers in the state.
At the protest rally led by the national leadership of the labour movement against alleged maltreatment of workers in the state, as early as 8am, workers started gathering at the state Secretariat of the NLC for the protest but suddenly some men with harmful weapons stormed the Secretariat and attacked the workers and chased them away.
It was a rowdy sight as union leaders and journalists scampered to safety.
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However, the workers reassembled at the secretariat, but this time led by the NLC President and General Secretary, Emma Ugboaja to commence the protest.
It was reported that as Ajaero was about to address the gathering a team of armed policemen and hooded men in truckloads stormed the venue and arrested him alongside some officials of NLC and took them away.
There were several gunshots fired to disperse the workers.
An unconfirmed report has it that a union member from the maritime was feared dead while a TVC cameraman was arrested and his camera smashed.
The TVC reporter, who also sustained injury, was said to have gone into hiding for fear of further attacks.
Confirming the report on the telephone, the Head of Information and Publicity at the NLC, Benson Upah said that Ajaero was arrested by the Police.
He said, “The NLC President was abducted by men suspected to be Policemen armed to their teeth at the Imo state NLC secretariat on Wednesday as we are about to commence our lawful protest against the violation of trade union rights of the workers.”
Also while giving accounts of the incident, NLC Deputy General Secretary and Chief of Staff to the NLC president, Chris Onyeka said that he was standing with Ajaero when he was brutalized and arrested.
“As workers were gathering to protest their maltreatment by the state government in Owerri, Imo State, and the President of NLC was about to address the workers, the Police came amidst attacks by thugs to arrest Ajaero.
“Thugs first attacked and dragged Ajaero from the platform before Police came to arrest them along with another senior official of the NLC,” he said.
*CP led the attack, Labour alleges
Speaking to journalists on the phone, the General Secretary of NLC, Emma Ugbaja alleged that the state Commissioner of Police led the attack.
He claimed that the government had mobilised ‘thugs’ as early as 6am and took over the area, adding, “When they (thugs) saw the (NLC) President, the CP led the thugs into the place. There were about five Nigerian Navy personnel on duty. The Police arrested and brutalised him and took him to their Tiger base and nobody has sighted him.”
Ugbaja further claimed that the hired thugs tore the clothes of the NLC President, who incidentally is from Imo State.
He further said that the Deputy General Secretary and the Deputy President of the Duck workers were manhandled and had broken arms, while their phones and an undisclosed amount of money were collected from them.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that the electricity workers joined the protest, and the electricity supply was disconnected.
*Brutalised Ajaero, released, rushed to FMC Owerri, may undergo ophthalmic investigation, brain scan
Meanwhile, the brutalised President of the NLC, Ajaero, was after his release rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Owerri after his right eye was shut.
The NLC Head of Information and Publicity, Comrade Benson Upah, described what happened to Ajaero as an act of abduction that degenerated into attempted murder.
He said, “Contact has been made with the congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, this evening (yesterday) around 15:30hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri where he is receiving medical attention. He was thoroughly brutalised, and his right eye at the time of contact was completely shut.”
He further said, “Ajaero, who said little, stated that immediately after his arrest, he was beaten up and blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination where more brutalisation took place, sometimes with bottles.
“His phones, money, and other personal effects were taken off him and have not been returned to him.”
It was learnt that the brutalised National President of the NLC has been referred for ophthalmic investigation and brain scan following the injuries he sustained when suspected hired thugs and the police descended on him during the botched rally protest in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
An update on the attack of Ajaero from the NLC media unit indicated that he has been placed on a neck collar.
Upah said last night, “Congress President, Joe Ajaero has been referred for ophthalmic investigation, a head/brain scan, a full body scan, and cervical spine therapy among other investigations. He is presently on a neck collar with wheels all over his skin.”
