Concerning what he perceived as a coordinated attempt by the administration to stifle criticism, especially that which opposed its economic policies, Ajaero voiced his worries.

Comrade Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has charged that Andrew Wynne, a wanted British national, was inadvertently placed at Labour House, the Abuja headquarters of the labour movement.

Ajaero voiced worries about what he perceived as a coordinated attempt by the administration to stifle criticism, especially that which opposed its economic policies, during a press briefing on Thursday.

The labour leader stated that he would still be in jail if it weren’t for his leadership role in the NLC and implied that his arrest earlier this year was a part of a larger plot to quell dissent.

The charges stem from the Nigeria Police Force’s declaration that Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich or Drew Povey, was wanted for allegedly plotting to topple President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

According to police authorities, Wynne, a British national, is said to have participated in actions deemed a threat to national security.

“The government is bent on suppressing every voice of resistance, especially those speaking out against its neo-liberal agenda,” said Ajaero.

He also questioned the supposed admission of the wanted British national to the NLC secretariat, thereby arousing concerns about possible government collusion in weakening the labour movement.

The Force declared that it has begun a comprehensive investigation into the purported participation of foreign mercenaries and groups it considers subversive in an attempt to topple Nigeria’s democratically elected government.

Ajaero was arrested by Department of State Services agents a few days later while travelling to a seminar in the UK. After several hours of public protest, he was freed.

Ajaero urged the federal government to provide an explanation of how the British national entered Nigeria at the 2024 ASUU State of the Nation Conference in Abuja, with the topic “Nigeria in a State of General Crisis: The Search for a New Path to Development.”

Since his release from detention, Ajaero has not discussed the matter in public until now.

The President of the NLC clarified that he had decided to hold off on speaking for a while in the hopes that the government would eventually divulge the actual circumstances behind his arrest.