On Wednesday, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, announced that certain suspected political thugs responsible for assaulting the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, have been apprehended. The attack on Ajaero occurred in Owerri, the capital of Imo State, on November 1, during a protest by state workers over unpaid salaries.
Recalling the incident, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had initiated a nationwide strike, demanding the arrest of the alleged thugs and their backers. In response to the strike’s impact on economic activities, Ribadu, in a statement released by the Head of Strategic Communications in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Zakari U Mijinyawa, urged organized labor to bring the ongoing nationwide strike to a halt.
Ribadu confirmed that arrests had been made in connection with the assault on the NLC president and assured the public that the investigation’s findings would be disclosed. The statement expressed the NSA’s concern about the strike’s potential adverse effects on the livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians and its impact on economic security and other strategic national interests.
Part of the statement reads, “The NSA is particularly worried about the implications of the strike action on the livelihood of ordinary Nigerians and its potential impact on economic security and other strategic national interests.
“The NSA regrets the incident and condemns it in its entirety as it was against the rule of law and the principles of freedom of association and expression subscribed to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration.
“The Federal Government will never condone such an act.
“As a fallout of the incident, relevant authorities were directed to conduct thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the assault and bring to book the culprits.
“Available update indicates that some arrests have already been made in this regard. The outcome of the investigation will be made public as soon as it is concluded.”