Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was arrested by Department of State Services (DSS) officers early Monday morning after failing to honor an invitation from the agency, sources have confirmed.
According to DSS sources, Ajaero was invited last week to address allegations made by several senior NLC leaders, with some aspects of the petition raising national security concerns. The agency's new Director-General, Oluwatosin Ajayi, who started less than two weeks ago, insisted on Ajaero's presence to clarify these issues.
“We invited him through the standard procedure, which involves a phone call from a senior director assigned to oversee the investigation,” the source explained. “Ajaero agreed to attend today but was later spotted at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, attempting to board an international flight.”
The DSS emphasized that no security organization can overlook such disregard. “Our mandate is to protect Nigeria from domestic threats and uphold the law impartially,” the source stated, drawing a comparison to the CIA’s impartiality in the U.S. legal system. “We expect individuals to respect legal processes and honor security invitations. Ajaero will likely be released once he addresses the allegations against him.”