The Department of State Services (DSS) has released labour leader Joe Ajaero, news sources learnt.
Ajaero, who affirmed his release to journalists, said the secret police permitted him to return home around 11PM on Monday.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president said he was grilled for about 15 hours since his apprehension around 7AM at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Ajaero, in any case, said his travel passport was confiscated by the secret police.
The labour leader said though he was detained by the DSS, some police officers likewise came around to grill him at the DSS office in Abuja over the #EndBadGovernance nationwide dissent which took place in August.
Ajaero said he was quizzed over supposed terrorism funding involving a British national, Andrew Wynne.
The labour leader was en route to the United Kingdom (UK) on Monday for a Trade Union Congress (TUC) event when he was apprehended at the Abuja airport.
The NLC had condemned Ajaero’s apprehension and gave the secret police Tuesday midnight to release the labour leader. The union had likewise put all its affiliates, state councils, civil society partners and all patriotic Nigerians on the highest state of alert in the light of “this troubling development.”
The TUC, global rights group Amnesty International, also human rights activist Femi Falana, amongst others, had chided the Federal Government for clamping down on the labour leader and requested his immediate and unconditional release.
The NLC president had acknowledged the police invitation over allegations of terrorism financing in late August, insisting on his innocence.
Ajaero was recently apprehended last November in Imo State when he was about to lead a dissent over unpaid workers’ salaries, amongst others.
