Abuja, NIGERIA — Air Peace has firmly denied any connection to the recent arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), by the Department of State Services (DSS). The arrest, which took place on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, occurred as Ajaero was preparing to depart for an official trip to the United Kingdom.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Omotade Makinwa, spokesperson for Air Peace, addressed claims suggesting that the airline’s petition against the NLC was linked to Ajaero’s detention. Makinwa clarified that the airline’s petition, filed over a year ago, was related to disruptions caused by NLC protests on May 3, 2023. These disruptions, part of a larger dispute between the NLC and the Imo State Government, led to significant operational setbacks and financial losses for Air Peace.
The airline’s statement underscored that it had no involvement in the broader conflict between the NLC and the Imo State Government. It also noted that while Air Peace initially sought legal recourse through a petition, the airline and the NLC had since resolved their issues, with the petition being withdrawn.
Makinwa expressed concern over the media’s portrayal of the situation, stating that the recent reports had unfairly tarnished the airline’s reputation. “The connection between our petition and the NLC president’s arrest is inaccurate and misleading,” Makinwa said. “Our aim has always been to restore our operations and resolve conflicts amicably.”
Despite the withdrawal of the petition and the resolution of past grievances, the airline’s statement indicated that the Nigerian Police’s recent actions had mistakenly tied the petition to the current legal situation involving Ajaero.
The statement continued, “Air Peace expresses concern over the recent media portrayal linking the NLC president’s arrest to a petition filed by the airline in September 2023.
“This situation does not accurately represent the current relationship between Air Peace and the NLC.
“It is important to clarify the events leading up to the petition. On May 3,, 2023, the NLC disrupted Air Peace operations as part of a broader conflict with the Imo State Government. Although Air Peace had no involvement in the dispute between the NLC and the Imo State Government, our airline was unfortunately used as a tool to exert pressure on the government. This unlawful disruption of our services caused significant financial losses and impacted the travel plans of many Nigerians across multiple states.
“In response to this disruption, Air Peace’s legal team submitted a formal petition against the NLC to the Nigerian Police. Despite our repeated efforts to follow up on the petition, the police failed to take prompt action.”
However, the airline added that “over a year later, the Nigerian Police have chosen to act on the original petition, which has now led to the alleged arrest of the NLC president.”
Makinwa said, “Before this arrest, the airline and the NLC had already reached an amicable resolution, and Air Peace had withdrawn its petition, allowing a positive working relationship to resume between the two organisations.”
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