President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero was on Wednesday, abducted and seriously brutalized by during a protest by the union in Imo State, in south-east Nigeria.

The NLC President along with other national leaders of NLC and their counterparts in the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) had gathered in solidarity with civil servants at the State Secretariat in Owerri, the state capital, to begin a planned protest over a backlog of unpaid salaries and allowances running into several months when security agents allegedly stormed the venue and abducted him and others while one person was feared killed in the melee.

The state workers were also protesting against the government over its refusal to implement previous agreements, salary arrears, unjust declaration of workers as ghost workers, destruction of NLC state secretariat, implementation of discriminatory pay and unpaid gratuity arrears.

They also lamented the non-compliance with the National Minimum Wage, intimidation and harassment of trade union leaders, use of violence and thuggery, misappropriation of union dues, declaration of pensioners as ghosts, systematic harassment and intimidation of workforce, resistance to social dialogue and collective bargaining, interference with workers’ democratic processes, they stated.

They also alleged that apart from the operatives, heavily armed thugs said to be loyal to the state governor, Hope Uzodimma, also descended on the labour leaders and other protesters, smashing vehicles, inflicting injuries and dispossessing them of their handsets, money, ATM cards, and other valuables.

Labour leaders who narrated what happened to journalists said trouble started when workers were trying to gain access into the state secretariat of the NLC for the protest and thugs in about 10 mini-buses armed with dangerous weapons stormed the secretariat and attacked labour leaders, workers and chased them away.

They said Ajaero was on the verge of addressing the gathering when a combined team of armed policemen and hooded men in trucks stormed the venue and arrested him alongside some labour leaders and some journalists, shooting sporadically.

The NLC Head of Information and Publicity, Benson Upah, who later addressed newsmen, said those who arrested Ajaero were led by the State’s Commissioner of Police.

“The NLC President was abducted by policemen armed to their teeth at the Imo state NLC secretariat on Wednesday as we were about to commence our lawful protest against the violation of trade Union rights of the workers,” Upah said.

“As workers were gathering to protest their maltreatment by the state government in Owerri, Imo State and the President of NLC was about to address the workers, the Police came amidst attacks by thugs to arrest Ajaero.

“Thugs first attacked and dragged Ajaero from the platform before police came to arrest him along with another senior official of the NLC.

“There were about five naval personnel on duty. The Police arrested and brutalized the President and took him to their Tiger base and nobody has sighted him”, he added.

Ajaere, who was later released late into the evening, had bruises on his face.

“He was thoroughly brutalized, his right eye at the time of contact was completely shut. Ajaero, who spoke little, stated that immediately after his arrest, he was beaten up and blind-folded and taken to an unknown destination where more brutalisation took place, sometimes with bottles. His phones, money and other personal effects were taken from him and have not been returned to him,” the union spokesman said.

The police have however denied the allegations, claiming they rescued Ajaero and took him into protective custody.