The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Joe Ajaero, has been released by the Department of State Services (DSS), which arrested him on Monday morning as he was about travelling out of Abuja to the United Kingdom to attend a conference.

The arrest of Ajaero on Monday was greeted by widespread condemnation nationwide by the NLC, other trade unions and concerned Nigerians.

However, confirming his release to journalists, Ajaero said in Abuja that the DSS allowed him to go home around 11 pm on Monday after grilling him for about 15 hours since his arrest at about 7 am at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Ajaero also said that his International passport was seized by the DSS.

The labour leader was on his way to the United Kingdom on Monday for a Trade Union Congress (TUC) event when he was arrested at the Abuja International Airport.

The NLC had condemned Ajaero’s arrest and gave the DSS up till Tuesday midnight to release the labour leader. The union had also put all its affiliates, state councils, civil society allies and all patriotic Nigerians on the highest state of alert in the light of “this troubling development”.

The TUC, global rights group Amnesty International, as well as human rights activist Femi Falana, amongst others, had berated the Nigerian Government for clamping down on the labour leader and demanded his immediate and unconditional release.

It will be recalled that the NLC President had earlier honoured police invitation over allegations of terrorism financing in late August, insisting on his innocence.

GIK/APA