A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, representing Ideato North South Federal Constituency of Imo State, has urged the Nigerian Police Force to redirect its focus towards addressing the worsening insecurity in the country rather than summoning the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero, over unsubstantiated allegations of terrorism financing....READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE ▶▶
The police recently extended an invitation to Ajaero in connection with a case of alleged criminal conspiracy and terrorism financing. The move has sparked widespread outrage, with the NLC threatening to launch a nationwide strike and protests in response.
Reacting to the situation, Ugochinyere, who also serves as the spokesperson for the opposition coalition lawmakers, described the invitation as baseless and warned that any attempt to detain Ajaero could lead to mass protests. He argued that it is clear Ajaero had no involvement in terrorism or murder, and he urged the police to withdraw the invitation immediately.
Speaking from personal experience, the lawmaker, who chairs the House Committee on Petroleum Resources Downstream, recounted his own run-ins with security agencies, recalling how he had faced similar unfounded accusations in the past. He called on the police to focus on tackling pressing security issues across the country rather than targeting the NLC President.
“Nigeria Labour Congress President didn’t commit any terrorism or murder. Drop it, so you don’t bring people back on the streets and create confusion for the President,” Ugochinyere stated. “If you want to help President Tinubu, go after the bandits in the forest. Find out why crude oil is still being stolen. You don’t help the President by inviting the NLC President and accusing him of murder and treason. Stop it! The President needs help – there’s insecurity, economic hardship, and rising food prices. That’s the real terror you need to address, not Comrade Ajaero.
Ugochinyere also advised the Inspector General of Police to reconsider the invitation, stressing that the country is facing challenging times and that the police should prioritise tackling the country’s security challenges. He urged the police to focus their energy on addressing issues such as oil theft and banditry, which he said are the real threats to Nigeria’s stability.
He concluded by urging the police leadership to channel their efforts into fighting criminal elements and supporting the government’s broader goals of restoring security and stability across the country.
“I have to advise the Nigerian police, there’s no basis for this now, what Nigerians need now is more enhanced security, more involvement of security agencies in quelling security challenges across all parts of the country instead of inviting the President of the NLC for a chat over his involvement in terrorism,” Ugochinyere continued. “These are old strategies that people can decode; from someone that has been through it. This same police force invited me multiple times and charged me multiple times. Based on my personal experience, I think this invitation should be withdrawn; the country is at a difficult moment now.”
