The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, was detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday morning and later released on bail.

Ajaero was apprehended at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while en route to England for a conference.

The DSS granted him administrative bail shortly before midnight.

Following Ajaero’s arrest, the NLC held an emergency meeting, issuing a statement condemning his detention. The statement, signed by NLC Deputy President Adeyanju Adewale, called for Ajaero’s immediate and unconditional release. It described the detention as an act of intimidation aimed at stifling dissent and weakening the labour movement’s influence in Nigeria.

The statement also urged the Federal Government to roll back the recent petrol price hike to N617.

The NLC warned: “We will not stand by and allow the violation of these fundamental rights. This is a clear attempt by the State to undermine the new National Minimum Wage implementation.”

The NLC has scheduled an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting for Tuesday to deliberate on the matter.