NLC President Hospitalized After Police Arrested Him While Leading Protest in Imo

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero has been hospitalized, following his arrest by the police at the state secretariat of the union in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

The union on Wednesday evening said Ajaero was released 3:30pm with wounds on his body and bruises on his face and that one of his eyes was completely shut.

He was first taken by the police from their custody to the police hospital in Owerri, before being transferred to the federal medical centre, Owerri.

The NLC said his phone, money and other personal effects taken from him were yet to be returned to him.

The congress explained that Ajaero was arrested while about to lead a protest march by workers from the NLC secretariat against the alleged maltreating of workers by the state government.

It said that Ajaero was arrested along with other NLC leaders, while he was about to address the workers.

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Meanwhile, the Imo State Government has said it has nothing to do with the arrest.

The Imo State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba, described those accusing the government of being behind the arrest as “perennial mischief makers always crying wolf where there is none” in a statement.

Like the police, he said the planned strike in the State had been stopped by the National Industrial Court in Owerri and that “makes the planned action illegal”.

According to the commissioner, as a result of the injunction, the Imo State chapter of NLC announced that it was pulling out of the strike.

Accusing Mr Ajaero of defying a court order, he said “information at the disposal of government indicated that there might have been a fiasco between lawful workers of Imo State and lawless invaders from Abuja, which led to police intervention to maintain the peace”.