Joe Ajaero: I was dragged on tarmac, detained by DSS – Oshiomhole

Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Edo State, has disclosed that he was assaulted by men from the Department of State Services (DSS) during his stint as President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) between 1999 and 2007.

Oshiomhole decried the recent brutalization of NLC President Joe Ajaero in Imo State and criticized organized labor’s plan to go on a statewide strike in response to the incident.

While speaking on Channels Television, Oshiomhole shared his experience, stating,

“I had a similar experience… I was on my way to Delta State, and I went to the airport. The then director of SSS ordered that I should be arrested and stopped from traveling because we had given an ultimatum to the then Federal Government headed by President Olusegun Obasanjo.”

“They dragged me on the tarmac, and I had my cuts all over the place. They forcefully prevented me from flying and took me back to the DSS director general’s office — then Col. [Kayode] Are.”

“He offered to take me to their own hospital, and I said, ‘No, I can’t even trust a government that has inflicted this kind of wound on me to treat me. They might as well poison my blood.’ I said I wasn’t going to do that.”

Oshiomhole added that he ended up in detention for at least 48 hours after being “taken away” and expressed his determination to continue the struggle for justice.