The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has refuted reports that its President, Joe Ajaero, was invited by the Department of State Services (DSS) and failed to respond, resulting in his arrest.

The NLC, in a statement by its Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, labelled the reports as false and mischievous, stressing that Ajaero has always respected invitations from authorities.

The incident in question occurred when Ajaero was arrested and detained by the DSS at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, while en route to London for a Trade Union Congress (TUC) conference in the UK.

In response to the public outcry over the arrest, the Presidency stated that no one was above the law, asserting that Ajaero should have honoured the DSS invitation. The narrative gained traction, prompting the NLC to clarify the situation.
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NLC: “He Was Never Invited”

The NLC’s statement countered claims from “sources within the agency” that Ajaero had been invited but failed to comply, which led to his arrest.

According to the NLC, Ajaero had recently spoken with the Director-General of the DSS during a courtesy visit, and a subsequent call was made to the Congress General Secretary to arrange a date for the visit.

The General Secretary explained his unavailability until Friday, September 13, and was assured of a notice at least 48 hours in advance.

The statement also revealed that the DSS Director-General last spoke with Ajaero on Saturday night, when he informed the DG of his travel plans for the next day, Sunday, and agreed to schedule the visit after his return on Friday, September 13.

“In the days preceding his arrest, Congress President had had a discussion with the Director-General, DG, DSS on a courtesy visit.

“A Director in the agency later called the General Secretary of the Congress on the need to fix a date for the courtesy visit. The General Secretary however explained to him that he would not be available until Friday (September 13).

“The said Director assured him they would give Congress leadership a notice of not less than 48 hours for the visit.
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“The DG DSS last spoke with Comrade Ajaero on Saturday night during which Ajaero told him he would be travelling the next day, Sunday, adding that the courtesy visit would be paid after his return on Friday, September 13.

“The Congress President, however, missed his flight on Sunday and had it rescheduled to Monday, September 9th.

“It was on that Monday morning he was picked up by the operatives of the DSS in a watch list operation on behalf of a sister agency.

“We want to re-affirm that Joe Ajaero is a law-abiding citizen heading the biggest pan-Nigerian organisation with an illustrious history of patriotism and will certainly not snub the DSS.

“He is a trade unionist of international repute, who serves on the executive boards of world federations of trade unions. His constituency goes beyond Nigeria.”