By Enyichukwu Enemanna
The National Security Adviser (NSA) of the Nigerian government, Nuhu Ribadu has announced the arrest of some culprits in connection with the November 1 assault on the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero.
Ribadu while expressing regret on Wednesday over the development that led to the nationwide indefinite strike in the Africa’s largest economy with an estimated population of 200 million said investigation has commenced into the attack which happened in Imo State during a protest for payment of workers.
Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodinma who recently secured a second term in office after an off-season election has been fingered to have masterminded the attack in which the labour leader said he was handed over to hoodlums by the police for beating.
During the Imo protest, he was abducted by the police and later released with a swollen face, an indication that he was sufficiently manhandled.
In a statement signed by the Head of Strategic Communication in the NSA Office, Zakari Mijinyawa, Ribadu “regrets the incident” on Ajaero and “condemns it in its entirety as it was against the rule of law and the principles of freedom of association and expression subscribed to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his administration”.
The NSA said the Federal Government will never condone such an act.
“As a fallout of the incident relevant authorities were directed to conduct thorough investigation into the circumstances sorrounding the assault and bring to book the culprits. Available update indicates that some arrests have already been made in this regard. The outcome of the investigation will be made public as soon as it is concluded,” the statement partly read.
“The Federal Government, through the Office of the NSA, therefore appeals to the labour leadership to call off the current strike action and allow the dialogue process underway to be exhausted.”
This response came after the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, said the unions have no confidence in the probe by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun and called on the NSA to lead the investigation.
“The office of the NSA should lead this investigation; it should not even be the Inspector General of Police because in this particular subject, we also feel that the IGP is compromised,” Osifo said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme early Wednesday.
