The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC/Transparency International Nigeria have advised against any attempt to silence the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC.
This is coming amid an invitation to the president of NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero by the police as part of investigations into terrorism financing in the country.
The Executive Director, CISLAC, Mr Auwal Rafsanjani, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, expressed concern over what he described as attempts to incriminate, silence and blackmail the leadership of the NLC.
He, however, said CISLAC was not against the investigation.
“CISLAC recalls that on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, the NLC complex, popularly known as Labour House, was besieged by heavily armed security personnel.
“This invasion occurred just hours after the NLC’s National Executive Council meeting, where members condemned the heavy-handed tactics employed by security agents during the #EndBadGovernance protests.
“The President NLC, Joe Ajaero, has been summoned by the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Intelligence Response Team (IRT), over allegations of “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.
“The invitation, detailed in an official letter, requires the President of the NLC to appear for an interview on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, at the IRT Complex in Guzape District, Abuja,” Rafsanjani said.
According to him, the investigation should be transparent so that Nigerians can clearly see that the government was not fabricating allegations, adding that the integrity of both the NLC and the police was at stake.
He said it was important for the police to prove that it was not being used as a tool to undermine the legitimate struggles of the citizenry.