Just days after he was released to the relief of family, colleagues, and concerned citizens, Andrew Emelieze, the National Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF), has been re-arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in a move that has sent shockwaves through civil society and labour circles.
SaharaReporters confirmed that Emelieze was picked up quietly on Friday morning and taken — without public knowledge — to a court where DSS agents allegedly sought a “fake warrant” to legalize what many are now calling an abuse of power.
This comes after a storm of public outcry over his initial arrest days earlier, leading to his brief release in Ibadan, Oyo State. But the celebration was short-lived.
His offence? Sources say it’s his unflinching commitment to the rights of Nigerian federal workers, particularly his role in organizing the July 1 nationwide protest demanding long-overdue minimum wage payments and allowances.
Andrew’s arrest underscores a troubling crackdown on peaceful advocacy, especially at a time when workers across Nigeria are struggling under the weight of economic hardship, inflation, and broken promises from government authorities.
The Federal Workers Forum, under Andrew’s leadership, had made it clear: the July 1 protest was not about politics — it was about dignity. It was about salaries not paid, wage awards endlessly delayed, and the silence of a system meant to protect its own.
According to the Forum’s updates following a general meeting on Saturday, June 29, despite assurances from the finance ministry that payments might resume soon, the reality for federal workers remained bleak.
“We are tired of empty promises,” one Forum member shared. “If Andrew can be arrested for standing up for us, who is safe? We are not asking for too much — we are only asking to be paid for our work.”
Behind the headlines is a man — a father, a worker, a rights advocate — who now sits in detention yet again, while the very workers he sought to defend are left fearful and uncertain.
“They are trying to silence the voice of the workers,” another union leader said. “But the question is — will fear feed our families?”
For now, Andrew Emelieze remains in custody, but his arrest has ignited a deeper question in the hearts of many Nigerians:
When did it become a crime to demand justice peacefully?
