Air Peace has clarified that it was not involved in the arrest of Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero, following negative media reports.

[dropcap]I[/dropcap]ndigenous airline Air Peace has officially distanced itself from reports alleging its involvement in the arrest and detention of Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), by the Department of State Services (DSS).

In a statement signed by spokesperson Omotade Makinwa, Air Peace expressed deep concern over the negative publicity resulting from the recent media coverage. The statement clarifies that the airline’s petition filed against the NLC in September 2023 is not related to Ajaero’s arrest.

The statement detailed that on May 3, 2023, the NLC disrupted Air Peace operations as part of a larger conflict with the Imo State government.

Air Peace stated it had no role in this dispute but was inadvertently caught in the crossfire, leading to significant financial losses and inconveniences for travelers.

In response to the disruption, Air Peace’s legal team submitted a formal petition against the NLC to the Nigerian Police. Despite attempts to follow up on the petition, the police did not take immediate action until over a year later, resulting in Ajaero’s arrest.

Air Peace noted that, prior to Ajaero’s arrest, the airline and the NLC had reached an amicable resolution, leading to the withdrawal of the petition and a positive working relationship between the two organizations.

Ajaero was arrested by the DSS on Monday and detained for approximately 15 hours before being released later that day. He confirmed that his travel passport was seized by the secret police during the ordeal.