Details Emerge from NLC President Joe Ajaero's Interview with Police Over Terrorism Financing Allegations

 

New details have emerged regarding the recent police interview with Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), in connection with ongoing investigations into allegations of terrorism financing. Ajaero was summoned by the police amid allegations that linked him to activities related to terrorism financing, cybercrime, subversion, criminal conspiracy, and treasonable felony, all in connection with one of the protesters associated with the EndBadGovernanceInNigeria movement.

Background on the Allegations

The Nigerian police issued a summons to Joe Ajaero for questioning over his alleged involvement in financing terrorism and other serious crimes. These allegations were part of a broader investigation into an individual connected to the EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. The police sought to determine whether Ajaero had any direct or indirect connections to this individual or the activities under scrutiny.

Ajaero's Appearance with Legal Team

On Thursday, Joe Ajaero appeared at the Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) command in Guzape, Abuja, accompanied by a team of lawyers led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana. The NLC President and his legal team arrived at the police command at approximately 10:20 a.m. The interview, which lasted less than two hours, concluded without any charges being filed against Ajaero.

Insights from the Interview

According to a lawyer who was part of Ajaero's legal team, the police had no substantial evidence or grounds to charge Ajaero with any crime. The lawyer, who preferred to remain anonymous, described the interaction as "friendly" and clarified that the police were merely seeking information about an individual who was under investigation.

"It was a very friendly interaction," the lawyer said. "They summoned him to find out if he had any knowledge of someone they were investigating. The person in question was one of the protesters, and they wanted to know if he was a tenant of the Labour House. This individual had a bookshop about six years ago."

Clarifications Provided by Ajaero's Team

During the interview, Ajaero and his legal team emphasized that the NLC President had no involvement with the individual under investigation. They clarified that the Labour House, where the NLC's headquarters is located, is on the 10th floor, while the person being investigated had a bookshop on the second floor of the same building. Therefore, there was no direct connection between Ajaero and the activities of the person in question.

"Ajaero has no business with the arrest of anybody," the lawyer continued. "We told them that the Labour House is on the 10th floor, and the person they arrested operates on the second floor. The bookshop they came to ransack is on the second floor, so Ajaero has nothing to do with being invited by the police. We also advised the police to either release all the protesters or charge them to court."

Call for Proper Communication

Ajaero's legal team also criticized the manner in which the police handled the summons. They argued that the situation could have been resolved through a simple phone call rather than issuing a formal letter that made the matter appear more serious than necessary. "We told them that they should have just placed a call instead of writing to him and making it look serious," the lawyer added.

Conclusion

The interview between Joe Ajaero and the police ended without any charges being brought against him, and it appears that the NLC President was only summoned as part of a routine inquiry. The police were primarily interested in gathering information about an individual associated with the EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests and had no direct allegations against Ajaero himself. As the situation continues to unfold, the NLC has reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the rule of law and protecting the rights of Nigerian workers.

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