The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has voiced strong opposition to the tactics used by the Department of State Services (DSS) during the detention of activist Omoyele Sowore at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Joe Ajaero, the NLC President, stated that the aggressive conduct and intimidation displayed by security agents during the arrest were both humiliating and beneath the stature of a professional intelligence agency.
Ajaero questioned the necessity of such dramatic enforcement, specifically challenging the DSS for acting as both the primary accuser and the jailer in the case. He suggested that such responsibilities should rest with the Ministry of Justice or the Attorney General of the Federation. According to Ajaero, the agency is straying from its constitutional mandate by prioritizing the protection of specific individuals or the current government rather than upholding the safety of the Nigerian state.
The NLC emphasized that the survival of democracy depends on robust institutions rather than the interests of powerful figures. Ajaero warned that when state agencies manipulate their power to appease political leaders, they endanger the nation’s democratic integrity. Drawing a comparison to the Watergate scandal in the United States, he urged the DSS to reconsider its methods and remain strictly committed to its legal duties to ensure the rule of law prevails.
