There was controversy over the claim by the Imo State Police Command to have rescued the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero during the mayhem in the state.
It was earlier reported in the media that the NLC boss was brutally beaten and absconded by the police during the misunderstanding among members of the congress in the state.
In a swift response to the report, the PPRO, Imo State Command, ASP Okoye Henry, claimed that the police went to the scene of incident to disperse the warring factions and rescued the NLC President before taking him to the hospital.
According to him, “The Imo State Police Command wishes to clarify some sketchy reports alleging the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, in Owerri. It is pertinent to state that the NLC President was in Owerri as part of arrangements of the Congress to mobilize workers for a mega protest rally in the state. In the course of their planning, it was reported that suggestions arose for the lockdown of some essential facilities particularly the airport which led to some workers and other individuals resisting the picketing process leading to scuffles and heated arguments and an eventual attack on the person of the president by a mob.
“Upon receiving this report, the Imo Police Command swiftly deployed police operatives to the scene where the Officer in Charge exercised his operational discretion by taking the NLC President into protective custody at the State Command Headquarters to ensure the protection of his life and that he was not lynched in the scuffle that followed. The Commissioner of Police thereafter directed that he should be taken to the Police Medical Services, Owerri, where he would be accorded medical attention as a result of the attack. He has therefore been accorded adequate security cover to proceed on his other legitimate engagements for the day”, Henry said.
Also responding to the PPRO statement, Comrade Ajaero, through the NLC Head of Information and Publicity, Comrade Benson Upah, described what happened to Ajaero as an act of abduction that degenerated into attempted murder.
According to him, “President of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC Comrade Joe Ajaero has lamented how he was beaten up and rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri after his arrest by the Police”.
He said that “contact has been made with Congress President, Comrade Joe Ajaero at around 15:30 hours at the Police Hospital in Owerri from where he was taken to, Federal Medical Centre, Owerri where he is receiving medical attention.
He claimed that “Ajaero was thoroughly brutalized, his right eye at the time of contact was completely shut.”
He further added that “Ajaero, said immediately after his arrest, he was beaten up and blindfolded and taken to an unknown destination where more brutalisation took place, sometimes with bottles.
“His phones, money and other personal effects were taken off him and have not been returned to him”, he said.
Another member of the Congress who wanted anonymity claimed that the Police acted on instruction from the above to deal with the NLC boss so as to discourage other members from their aims and objectives in the state, adding “those who caused the mayhem were not our members but just stormed the venue to cause the unrest”.
