Air Peace has denied any involvement in the arrest of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Joe Ajaero by the Department of State Services (DSS).
News About Nigeria reports that Ajaero was arrested on September 9, 2024, at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while en route to the United Kingdom for a Trade Union Congress meeting.
In response to media reports suggesting the arrest was linked to a petition by Air Peace, the airline’s spokesperson, Omotade Makinwa, issued a statement clarifying the situation.
Makinwa explained that while the airline had indeed filed a petition against the NLC in May 2023 following a disruption of its operations, the petition had long since been resolved and was unrelated to Ajaero’s arrest.
The disruption in May 2023 occurred when the NLC, during a dispute with the Imo State Government, interrupted Air Peace’s operations, causing huge financial losses and affecting travellers across the country.
Air Peace filed a formal petition against the NLC with the Nigerian Police, but no action was taken at the time.
Makinwa noted that although the police had recently acted on the original petition over a year later, the matter had already been amicably resolved between Air Peace and the NLC, and the airline had withdrawn its petition.
He stressed that any reports linking Ajaero’s arrest to Air Peace’s actions were misleading and had created unnecessary negative publicity for the airline.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has confirmed that Ajaero has been released from the custody of the DSS.
The NLC announced the release of its president in a terse statement on Tuesday on its official X page.
“NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero Released from DSS detention. The Struggle Continues, We can’t be Silenced,” the NLC wrote on X.
https://twitter.com/NLCHeadquarters/status/1833313953369223315
