Indigenous airline, Air Peace, has refuted claims linking it to the arrest and detention of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a statement issued by the airline’s spokesperson, Omotade Makinwa, Air Peace expressed concern over the negative publicity stemming from reports associating the airline with Ajaero’s arrest.
The statement reads: “Air Peace Airline is deeply troubled by recent media reports regarding the arrest of the NLC President in connection to a petition we filed in September 2023. This situation has resulted in unfavorable attention that does not accurately represent our current relationship with the NLC.”
Clarifying the background, the airline explained that on May 3, 2023, the NLC disrupted Air Peace operations during a protest against the Imo State government. Despite having no involvement in the conflict, the airline’s services were affected as part of a broader effort to pressure the government. This disruption, Air Peace noted, caused significant financial losses and inconvenienced travelers nationwide.
“In response, our legal team submitted a formal petition to the Nigerian Police regarding the unlawful disruption of our services. Despite our efforts to follow up, no timely action was taken by the authorities,” the statement continued.
Air Peace further emphasized that although the police recently acted on the petition, leading to the alleged arrest of the NLC president, the airline had already resolved its differences with the NLC and withdrawn the petition prior to the arrest.
Ajaero, who was detained by the DSS on Monday, was released later that evening. He confirmed his release to reporters, stating that the DSS had interrogated him for approximately 15 hours after his early morning arrest at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. His passport was reportedly confiscated by the security agency.
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