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DSS Never Invited Ajaero Before Arresting Him At Airport — NLC
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has come forward to dispute claims surrounding the recent arrest of its President, Joe Ajaero, by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The NLC stated that reports alleging Ajaero ignored an official DSS invitation before his arrest are “untrue” and “mischievous.”
Ajaero was apprehended at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja while he was on his way to London for a conference hosted by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) of the UK.
The incident sparked considerable controversy and prompted responses from various government bodies, including the Presidency, which emphasized that “no one is above the law” and reiterated that Ajaero should have respected the security agency’s request.
In response to the widespread narrative that Ajaero deliberately snubbed the DSS invitation, the NLC has taken steps to clarify the circumstances leading to his detention.
The labour union firmly stated that disregarding official summons is out of character for Ajaero, who has shown consistent respect for authority in the past.
This statement from the NLC aims to correct the public record and reduce tensions surrounding the arrest, highlighting the ongoing dialogue between national security agencies and labor representatives.
NLC, in the statement by its Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, said, “Our attention has been drawn to a story (circulating in different media platforms) linked to ‘sources within the agency (DSS)’ that preceding his arrest, Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, was invited by the DSS but that he did not honour the invitation.
“The ‘sources’ further added that it was reason for his arrest at the airport on his way to the UK.
“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.
“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.”
The Chairman of Bariga Local Government Area of Lagos State, Kolade Alabi, on Wednesday, suddenly slumped at the All Progressives Congress stakeholders’ meeting held at the party’s Secretariat in Ikeja, the state capital.
According to The PUNCH, Alabi, who is the state chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, was addressing party members when the sad incident occured.
Fortunately, he was immediately revived and rushed away to the hospital in an ambulance for further treatment.
Details shortly…
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, admitted a video recording allegedly showing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu issuing inflammatory directives which the prosecution claims incited acts of terrorism across the South – East region of the country.
The Wednesday proceedings resumed with the continuation of the testimony of the second Prosecution witness, an operative of Department of State Services (DSS) codenamed PWBBB.
In the video played in open court, Kanu was seen addressing his followers in what he called, “the blessed land of Biafra”, wherein he announced the formation of the Eastern Security Network (ESN), urging followers to defend their land against what he referred to as “Fulani domination.”
He warned political leaders in the region against compromises and issued a directive forbidding the presence of fulani herdsmen, saying, “No Fulani parading as herdsman shall be allowed in our land. If you are an agent of the Fulani, turn your way this evening.”
The device was admitted as evidence alongside a certificate of compliance, despite objections from the defence.
They were marked as Exhibits PWA and PW1, respectively.
The court also admitted a letter dated June 17, 2021, authored by the former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, SAN, which accused Kanu of terrorism, murder, and incitement to violence.
The letter, addressed to the DSS, was tendered without objection and marked as Exhibit PWF.
Reading from the document, the witness, who was led in evidence by the prosecuting counsel, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN alleged that Kanu’s broadcasts were followed by coordinated attacks on police stations and correctional facilities, resulting in loss of lives and property.
He quoted the petition as saying Kanu had instructed that security operatives be “brought down” and their weapons seized.
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has alerted the public on the activities of Property World Africa Network (PWAN), which holds itself out as a real estate investment company and solicits funds from the public for investment purposes through PWAN MAX.
In a statement on Tuesday, the SEC said PWAN/PWAN MAX are not registered either to solicit investments from the public or operate in any other capacity within the Nigerian capital market.
The SEC said investigations revealed that PWAN’s operations exhibit the typical indicators of a fraudulent Ponzi scheme, including the promise of unusually high returns and failure to honour withdrawal requests from subscribers.
“Accordingly, the public is strongly advised to be wary about investing with PWAN/PWAN MAX, as any person who places such investment with these entities, does so at his/her own risk.
“The commission similarly reminds potential investors of the need to verify the registration status of investment platforms via the commission’s dedicated portal: www.sec.gov.ng/cmos before transacting with them,” the SEC said.
(The Guardian)
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