Emelieze was arrested ahead of a planned nationwide protest by federal workers scheduled for July 1, 2025.

The Take-It-Back Movement (TIB) has condemned the “unlawful and arbitrary” arrest of Comrade Andrew Emelieze, National Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF), by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Emelieze was arrested ahead of a planned nationwide protest by federal workers scheduled for July 1, 2025.

The protest was intended to demand the implementation of a new minimum wage, payment of outstanding allowances, and broader economic reforms to improve the living conditions of Nigerian workers.

According to the Take-It-Back Movement, Emelieze’s arrest is an attempt by the Nigerian government to stifle constitutionally protected rights to protest and assembly.

In a statement signed by TIB National Coordinator, Sanyaolu Juwon, the group said, “We consider this act by the DSS to be a blatant attack on civil liberties and a deliberate attempt by the Nigerian state to silence dissent, criminalise peaceful protest, and intimidate labour activists who dare to challenge a corrupt and anti-worker establishment. This is not only unlawful and undemocratic, it is tyrannical.”

Emelieze was arrested in his residence in Ibadan, and DSS operatives have detained him without a public explanation or formal charges.

Efforts by colleagues and human rights lawyers to secure his release have been unsuccessful so far.

TIB insists that Emelieze has committed no crime, emphasising that his role in organising the July 1 protest falls within the rights enshrined in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, particularly sections guaranteeing freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.

“His arrest, therefore, is nothing but a crude abuse of power and an insult to the sacrifices of Nigerian workers who continue to suffer under a government that has weaponised poverty and repression,” the group added.

TIB further accused the DSS of being complicit in what it called a growing pattern of repression, citing previous instances of preemptive arrests of activists and critics of government policies.

“This shameful pattern of preemptive arrests and intimidation has become the hallmark of a government terrified of its own people. A government that would rather jail agitators than pay workers,” the statement continued.

The group demanded the “immediate and unconditional” release of Emelieze and warned that continued repression of people’s rights by the government could spark wider resistance.

The protest by the Federal Workers Forum is part of a broader agitation for improved wages amid soaring inflation and declining living standards.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have also issued ultimatums to President Bola Tinubu’s administration over the delayed implementation of a new national minimum wage, which remains a contentious issue between the government and organised labour.