The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned the Nigerian Police Force to desist from apprehending the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC),  Joe Ajaero.

The Association insisted that the government was attempting to suppress and intimidate the Labour movement for continuously speaking against anti-people policies.

HURIWA argued that the allegations against the NLC boss were politically motivated.

Speaking via a statement signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, on Tuesday, HURIWA expressed deep concern over the erosion of democratic principles under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration

He said the government “is swiftly turning Nigeria into a full-blown dictatorship, a police state, and a banana republic marked by lawlessness, impunity, corruption, and organized chaos.”

He warned that this pattern of repression is not only undemocratic but also threatens Nigeria’s survival as a sovereign nation founded on justice and equity.

The statement read in part, “Categorically rejected these charges, viewing them as a calculated effort to discredit the labor leader and undermine the labor movement’s legitimate opposition to the Tinubu administration’s oppressive policies.

“This harassment follows a police raid at the NLC National Secretariat in Abuja on July 7, 2024, an incident that sparked widespread condemnation and raised concerns about the government’s respect for labor rights and democratic freedoms.

“The growing pattern of repression under Tinubu’s watch is reminiscent of some of the darkest periods in Nigeria’s history when military dictatorships held sway.

“If this trajectory is not halted, Nigeria risks plunging into an abyss of chaos and anarchy, with dire consequences for the unity and stability of the nation.”