The Nigerian Presidency has strongly rejected allegations of human rights abuses made by the United Kingdom’s Trade Union Congress (TUC) following the recent arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).
The dispute began when Ajaero was barred from traveling abroad to attend a UK TUC conference due to his alleged failure to respond to a summons from Nigerian law enforcement agencies as part of an ongoing investigation.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, emphasized that Nigeria is “a country governed by law” and refuted claims of human rights violations.
“Under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As Amended), no individual is exempt from the lawful summons of law enforcement agencies. Like the UK and other civilized countries, Nigeria operates under the rule of law,” Onanuga stated.
Comparing Nigeria to other democracies, Onanuga cited high-profile investigations involving former U.S. President Donald Trump and Hunter Biden, the son of the current U.S. President, to illustrate that even prominent figures are subject to legal scrutiny.
“In the U.S., former President Trump has faced numerous investigations and prosecutions in multiple states since leaving office. Hunter Biden has also been lawfully investigated by the FBI. Therefore, any suggestions of human rights abuses in Nigeria are unfounded and misinformed,” he added.
The presidency further clarified that Ajaero’s invitation by the Department of State Services (DSS) was unrelated to his role as NLC President and urged him to comply with the law like any responsible citizen.
In response to the UK TUC’s description of Ajaero’s arrest as “blatant intimidation” and a violation of trade union rights, the presidency dismissed these accusations as baseless.
“As a responsible citizen, Mr. Ajaero should address any issues arising from the investigation instead of fostering negative public opinion against the security agencies,” Onanuga continued.
The presidency reiterated that while it recognizes the role of labor unions in defending workers’ rights, many of their ideological positions have historically hindered Nigeria’s economic development. Citing the unions’ opposition to the 2007 sale of two refineries to the Bluestar Consortium, Onanuga argued that labor actions have often been counterproductive.
He pointed out that while the sale was blocked, none of the government-owned refineries have functioned effectively since, whereas Aliko Dangote, a key figure in Bluestar, went on to build the world’s largest single-train refinery in Lagos. The same labor movement that opposed Dangote in 2007 has now praised his accomplishment.
