The detention of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) president Joe Ajaero at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport has intensified criticism of National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu, who ordered the arrest. Ribadu, already under fire for detaining U.S. citizen Tigran Gambaryan and other figures, is now facing widespread accusations of abusing his power to stifle dissent.
According to the Daily Post, Ajaero, the president of the NLC, was released after being detained at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport on Ribadu’s orders while en route to the United Kingdom. His arrest sparked backlash from labor organizations and human rights groups, who viewed the detention as an attempt to intimidate the labor movement amid looming strikes over economic grievances. Following widespread criticism, Ajaero was released on bail.
Ribadu, who oversees Nigeria’s national security operations, has been accused of using his position to target political opponents and business figures without due process. One of the most high-profile cases is that of U.S. citizen Tigran Gambaryan, a former IRS cryptocurrency investigator and executive at Binance, who was detained in February 2024 on money laundering charges. Observers widely consider these charges baseless, suggesting that Gambaryan is being scapegoated in Nigeria’s broader crackdown on cryptocurrency amid a worsening economic crisis. Binance CEO Richard Teng condemned the detention, calling the charges against Gambaryan “unnecessary.”
"Tigran has now been detained for more than 90 days," said Teng. "There are policymakers in the U.S. that have said he has been detained unnecessarily. We will always try to solve problems that we have, problems with any government - that is a function of what we do as a company. But Tigran shouldn't be used as a tool for unnecessary charges."
This is not an isolated incident. Ribadu’s office has faced mounting accusations from Nigerian political and civil rights groups, who allege that security forces are being misused to silence dissent. The Nigerian Civil Society Network (NCSN) recently called on President Bola Tinubu to investigate Ribadu’s actions, citing concerns about arbitrary arrests and the erosion of civil liberties. These developments have sparked concern among human rights groups, with Amnesty International noting a rise in abuses under Ribadu’s leadership, comparing the situation to Nigeria’s past struggles with military authoritarianism.
Ribadu’s actions have also drawn international attention, particularly in the United States, where lawmakers and former federal agents are urging the Biden administration to intervene in Gambaryan’s case.
“What is happening to Tigran is a clear violation of international human rights law,” Chagri Poyraz, a human rights advocate, wrote on X.
Many critics have drawn parallels between Ribadu’s current actions and his previous history in Nigeria’s security apparatus. Ribadu, once a prominent anti-corruption figure before falling out of favor and going into exile, has now returned to a position of significant power under Tinubu’s administration. Observers have expressed disappointment that Ribadu, who himself once fled persecution, is now using similar tactics against Nigerian citizens and political opponents.
