The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has refuted claims that its President, Joe Ajaero, was invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) before his arrest at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Monday. Ajaero was en route to the United Kingdom for an official engagement when the arrest occurred.
NLC spokesperson Benson Upah, in a statement released on Wednesday, addressed reports circulating on various media platforms. The reports, citing “sources within the DSS,” suggested that Ajaero’s arrest was due to his failure to respond to an invitation from the security agency.
“Our attention has been drawn to a story linked to ‘sources within the DSS’ alleging that Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, was invited by the DSS but did not honour the invitation. We would like to set the record straight,” Upah said.
According to the NLC, prior to his arrest, Ajaero had a conversation with the Director General of the DSS during a scheduled courtesy visit. Subsequently, a DSS Director contacted the NLC’s General Secretary to arrange a date for the visit, but it was agreed that the Congress leadership would only be available after Friday, September 13, with 48 hours’ notice required for the visit.
The NLC clarified that Ajaero informed the DSS Director General on Saturday that he would be traveling the following day, with plans to reschedule the courtesy visit after his return. Ajaero’s flight, originally set for Sunday, was missed and rescheduled to Monday, the day he was arrested.
Upah emphasized that Ajaero is a law-abiding citizen and trade union leader of international standing. “Joe Ajaero would never snub the DSS or disregard any lawful invitation, as evidenced by his history of honouring similar requests, including from the police,” the statement read.
The NLC concluded by reaffirming that Ajaero’s arrest was part of a “watch list operation” for a sister agency, dismissing any notion that he deliberately ignored an invitation from the DSS.
