President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Joe Ajaero was on Monday morning arrested by officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) because he failed to honour an invitation by the agency sources have revealed.
DSS sources said that they had invited Ajaero last week. The invitation, it was gathered, had to do with a petition by some top NLC leaders against Ajaero, and that certain aspects of the petition bordered on national security.
“You know that our new DG (Director-General), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi resumed duty less than two weeks ago. This was one of the petitions he inherited. He insisted that we invite the NLC president to clear the air on some of the allegations.,” explained the source.
“Last week, we invited him (Ajaero) through the normal channel, which is on the telephone. A very senior director extended the invitation, and was mandated to handle the investigation.
“Ajaero promised to come today, Monday. The next thing we heard was that Ajaero was sighted at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, trying to board an international flight.
“No responsible security organization will fold its hands in the face of such contempt. The law setting up the DSS empowers us to defend Nigeria against domestic threats, to uphold and enforce the criminal laws of Nigeria, and to provide leadership and criminal justice services to federal and state law-enforcement organs.
“This, we have done over the decades without fear or favour. We often praise the CIA in the United States for operating without fear or favour. See the way former President Donald Trump is being dragged around, even though he has the chances of returning as president.
“We must learn to live within the ambit of the law, including honouring invitation by security agencies. I’m sure he’ll be released after he clears the air on the allegations against him by some of his colleague-officers in the NLC,” assured the officer.