NLC President, Secretary get new date to honour police summons – Lawyer

The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and the union’s General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, are scheduled to appear before the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Department (NPF-FID) on 24 September in Abuja over alleged criminal intimidation and other offences.

The labour leaders who were initially billed to meet with the police on Thursday, 5 September, deferred the meeting due to prior commitments, a member of their legal team, Maxwell Opara, said.

“Mr. Ajaero had official engagements, which prevented him from attending the earlier invitation. However, he will honour the new meeting date set for September 24,” Mr Opara told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

In a letter dated 28 August, the police department requested Messrs Ajaero and Ugboaja to attend an interview at its office on September 5 as part of an investigation into alleged “criminal intimidation, conduct likely to breach public peace, and malicious damage to property.”

The invitation came a few days after Mr Ajaero appeared before the Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on 29 August.

The NLC had condemned the police summon of its officials and the police raid on its building saying they were tactics to intimidate the labour union and its leaders amidst the economic crisis the country is going through.

Earlier on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES visited the FID office on Shehu Shagari Way, Abuja, but the labour leaders were not present for the interview scheduled for 11 a.m.

For about two hours, this newspaper was on the premises of the department located opposite the Force headquarters, but they did not show up.

An officer, who did not want his name mentioned because he was not authorised to speak, also confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that the two labour officials did not honour the invitation.

“We have followed the necessary legal procedures. Now, it’s up to him (Mr Ajaero) to comply with the law,” the officer said, adding that there was no formal communication from the labour leaders requesting a postponement or extension.

Force spokesperson Olumuyiwa Adejobi could not be reached for comment as his mobile telephone did not connect.

This newspaper also monitored the situation at the Pascal Bafyau Building, the NLC’s headquarters, from 8 a.m.

Although the NLC staff members were seen going about their daily routines, the president and secretary were not present.

PREMIUM TIMES made several unsuccessful attempts to speak with Mr Ugboaja and the NLC’s Head of Media, Benson Upah. Calls and text messages made to their phones for comments were not responded to.

Background

On 7 August, police raided a bookshop on the second floor of the NLC headquarters in Abuja, though the specifics surrounding the raid remain murky.

The bookshop is owned by a Briton, Drew Povey (whom the police identified as Andrew Whynne), who was reportedly not in Nigeria at the time of the raid. The Nigeria Police Intelligence Response Team (NPF-I) subsequently summoned Mr Ajaero. Although he was asked to appear on 20 August, Mr Ajaero eventually appeared on 29 August.

Mr Opara, who accompanied the labour leader to the IRT office, revealed that the interrogation focused solely on the bookshop’s ownership.

“The questions they raised were not in line with the contents of the original summons,” Mr Opara said, emphasising that the discussion centred around commercial operations within the NLC building rather than any terrorism-related offences.

The police have since declared Mr Povey wanted, while the Federal High Court on Wednesday issued a warrant for his arrest for allegedly plotting an insurrection against Nigeria.

Mr Povey has denied any wrongdoing and said he only supported peaceful protests for good governance in Nigeria. The socialists said he has been visiting Nigeria for 27 years and has had the bookshop at the NLC headquarters for seven years. He urged the Nigerian government not to criminalise peaceful protests in a democracy.

The court also issued an arrest warrant against two Nigerians who allegedly worked with the Briton.

Earlier on Monday, the government arraigned 10 Nigerians who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and other states.

Part of the charges against them was that they collaborated with the 70-year-old Briton “with intent to destabilise Nigeria” and that they “called on the military to take over the government from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

They were also accused of conspiring with Mr Wynee (aka Andrew Povish) to plot a war against the Nigerian state. They were remanded in prison.