Amnesty International, a human rights organization, has alleged that the Nigerian Police collaborated with the Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, in the brutalization of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, during a union protest in Imo.
In a statement posted on its official social media handle, the human rights group claimed that the Imo state government, in coordination with the police, resorted to violence and repressive tactics to intimidate the labor union during the protest on Wednesday.
The statement from Amnesty International read, “The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Mr. Joe Ajaero was beaten and blindfolded by the police @PoliceNG in connivance with Imo state government in Owerri. Using violence and repressive tricks to intimidate the labor union is a new unacceptable dimension of impunity.”
It should be noted that Joe Ajaero was reportedly subjected to brutality during the NLC’s protest in Imo. There were reports that he was assaulted by members of the Nigerian Police force.
However, the Police countered these claims, stating that they took the president of the union into preventive custody after receiving intelligence about a potential mob attack against him.
Governor Hope Uzodinma also distanced his government from the attack, asserting that there were efforts to blackmail his administration in the lead-up to the November 11 governorship election.