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MWUN Condemns Attack On National Officers, Joe Ajaero’s Arrest

The leadership of Maritime Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MWUN) has condemned the violent attack on its national officers of MWUN by hoodlums and miscreants at the premises of the state secretariat of the NLC Imo State chapter and the arrest and detention of the President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero.

MWUN, in a press statement signed by the President-General, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, lamented that the attack led to MWUN officers sustaining grievous bodily harm and loss of their personal properties, including money and phones.

“This abuse of power is unwarranted, illegal and downright inimical to the foundational tenets of democracy and its attendant civil liberties. It is pertinent to note that the call for a mass demonstration in Owerri by the Nigeria Labour Congress is as legitimate as it is necessary to liberate the ordinary citizens of the State who are gnashing their teeth, writhing in pains from the unprecedented level of suffering being meted on them by the State.”

“No sooner had the Nigeria Labour Congress state secretariat located in Owerri, Imo State opened for the business of the day i.e mobilizing its members for the scheduled mass demonstration than urchins arrived the venue and began to unleash mayhem and havoc in a calculated and deliberate move to prevent the NLC scheduled mass demonstration from taking off. As a result of these acts of violent assault by these obviously sponsored thugs, several individuals sustained serious and near-fatal injuries, with some of them rushed to the hospital for emergency care,” the statement read.

The union noted that as a social partner and affiliate of NLC, MWUN gave its solidarity support to the call for mass demonstration as directed by the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress especially in consideration of the fact that the President General of MWUN – Comrade (Prince) Adeyanju Adewale is a Deputy President of the Congress.

“Unfortunately, two national officers of MWUN; Comrade Abubakar Bello (Vice President General), and Comrade Abudu Eroje (Deputy Secretary General) were brutally attacked, sustaining grave injuries and losing valuables such as their phones, money and important documents. As at the time of this press release, these officers are still in intensive care.”

“The president of the NLC who was not at the secretariat during the initial attack arrived later to take stock of the situation and was beaten blue-black by the sponsored urchins who were still at the premises. Surprisingly, he was arrested by the Police and taken to an unknown destination.”

“We condemn in the strongest of terms this attack, molestation and assault on its officials and the president of the NLC by these sponsored thugs as well as the illegal arrest of the NLC president by the Nigeria Police, Imo State Police Command. The MWUN hereby call on the Imo State government and the Nigerian Police to apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime and bring them to book as well as the immediate release of the NLC president so as to forestall further crises,” the statement read.

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