Labour Party (LP) Chieftain Hon. Linus Okorie has criticized the federal government and the police for their recent actions against the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero. Okorie, who represented Ohaozara, Onicha, and Ivo federal constituency of Ebonyi State in the House of Representatives, expressed his deep concern over what he describes as an “authoritarian overreach” by the executive arm.
In a statement released on Tuesday and made available to Newsmen in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State’s capital, Okorie condemned the deployment of internal security forces against Ajaero. He likened the situation to a “police state,” where political power is wielded without distinction from the law.
“The use of police and internal security forces to suppress civil liberties and control civil society is a clear sign of a government veering towards authoritarianism,” Okorie warned. “A police state is a hallmark of totalitarian regimes, not of a democratic society like Nigeria.”
His comments come in the wake of widespread allegations of police brutality during the recent national hunger protests, which resulted in several deaths. Amnesty International reported that 13 people were killed on the first day of the protests, prompting calls for an investigation into the police’s actions.
The NLC, under Ajaero’s leadership, has been at the forefront of these protests, urging the federal government to address the nation’s worsening economic crisis. However, this has placed the NLC and its leaders in the crosshairs of the authorities, with Okorie claiming that coordinated efforts are being made to undermine the NLC’s influence and the LP’s push for political reform.
Tensions escalated further when the police conducted a controversial night raid on the NLC’s national secretariat in Abuja. According to NLC spokesperson Benson Upah, the raid involved the arrest of security guards and the seizure of key documents. The police later justified the operation as part of an investigation into an alleged “subversive” figure threatening Nigeria’s democracy—a claim the NLC has vehemently denied.
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Most recently, Ajaero received a summons from the police, demanding his appearance within 24 hours to answer charges of criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime. Okorie and other political observers have questioned the legitimacy and timing of these allegations, viewing them as part of a broader attempt to silence dissent.
In response to these developments, human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has stepped forward to represent Ajaero. Falana has called for a delay in the police proceedings and demanded specific details of the charges against Ajaero.
Okorie concluded his statement with a pointed question: “If this can happen to a public figure like Joe Ajaero, what about the millions of ordinary Nigerians who lack access to legal representation? How many more will suffer under this oppressive system?”
