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POLICE IGNORED OUR PETITION ON AJAERO FOR OVER ONE YEAR BUT STARTED ACTING AFTER THE PETITION WAS WITHDRAWN – AIR PEACE
Air Peace has clarified its position regarding the recent arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), denying its alleged involvement in Ajaero’s arrest by the Department of State Services (DSS).
Ajaero was arrested on Monday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by the DSS as he was en route to the United Kingdom for an official assignment.
In a statement by airline spokesperson Omotade Makinwa, Air Peace addressed media reports suggesting that Ajaero’s arrest was related to a petition filed by the airline.
The statement noted that such reports had unfairly tarnished the airline’s reputation.
Makinwa explained that the airline had filed a petition over a year ago concerning an incident on May 3, 2023, when the NLC disrupted Air Peace’s operations amid a broader conflict with the Imo State Government.
Although Air Peace was not involved in the dispute, the disruption led to significant financial losses and inconvenienced many travelers.
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said, “Before this arrest, the airline and the NLC had already reached an amicable resolution, and Air Peace had withdrawn its petition, allowing a positive working relationship to resume between the two organisations.”
