Air Peace Airlines has disassociated itself from the arrest of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero by the Department of State Security (DSS).
Mr. Ajaero was arrested yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on his way to the United Kingdom to attend an official assignment.
He has since been released after the NLC issued an ultimatum to government for his release.
Air Peace clarified that although it petitioned the NLC in 2023 following a dispute that ensued between both parties, the petition had been withdrawn.
A spokesperson for Air Peace, Omotade Makinwa, in a statement said having resolved their differences, the airline and NLC shared a cordial relationship and anything that could break the bond should be jettisoned.
The statement reads: “Air Peace Airline expresses deep concern over recent media reports regarding the arrest of the President of the NLC in connection to a petition filed by the airline in September 2023. This development, which has led to negative publicity, does not reflect 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, 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. Before this arrest, the airline and the NLC had already reached an amicable resolution, and Air Peace had withdrawn its petition, allowing a positive working relationship to resume between the two organisations”.
