DSS Arrests Journalist Adejuwon Soyinka at Lagos Airport

[justseyi]

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested Adejuwon Soyinka, a journalist with The Conversation Africa, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos. According to reports by PREMIUM TIMES, Soyinka was detained by DSS officials after arriving from the United Kingdom on a Virgin Atlantic flight around 5:40 am on Sunday.

As of now, the DSS has not provided any reasons for Soyinka’s arrest. This incident adds to a growing list of journalists who have recently faced government scrutiny and detention in Nigeria.

Just a few days prior, on Friday, news emerged that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had detained Isaac Bristol, a journalist known by his online alias @PIDOMNIGERIA. Bristol was arrested on charges of breaching the Official Secrets Act (OSA) due to his publication of leaks that allegedly expose government misconduct and terrorism financing. Reports indicate that after his arrest, the police subjected Bristol to harsh treatment and set an onerous bail condition, demanding two level 16 civil servants with property worth at least N500 million in Abuja as sureties for his release.

An analysis by the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) revealed the impracticality of this bail condition, noting that it would take more than 150 years for a level 16 civil servant to accumulate enough wealth to meet such a requirement.

Other journalists have also faced similar ordeals recently. On August 14, ‘Fisayo Soyombo, the founder of the FIJ, was released on bail after voluntarily reporting to the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC). In May, Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter with FIJ, was abducted by the police and spent 10 days in detention before his release. As part of his bail conditions, Ojukwu must now travel from Lagos to Abuja every two weeks.

These arrests and detentions highlight ongoing concerns about press freedom and the treatment of journalists in Nigeria.

[justseyi]

Update:

DSS Releases Journalist Adejuwon Soyinka After Airport Arrest

The Department of State Services (DSS) has released Adejuwon Soyinka, a journalist with The Conversation Africa, who was arrested on Sunday morning at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.

Dayo Aiyetan, the Executive Director of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR), confirmed Soyinka’s release in a post on X (formerly Twitter). At 1:36 pm, Aiyetan wrote, “Thank you everyone. Juwon Soyinka has just been released by @OfficialDSSNG in Lagos.”

Soyinka was arrested by DSS officials around 5:40 am after arriving from the United Kingdom and was taken into custody shortly afterward. As of now, the reasons for his arrest and subsequent detention remain unclear. The DSS has not disclosed if there were any specific conditions for his release.

Efforts to reach Peter Afunanya, the spokesperson for the DSS, for comments or clarification were unsuccessful. Phone calls, text messages, WhatsApp messages, and emails sent to him had not been responded to by the time of this report.

Soyinka’s arrest is part of a troubling trend of journalists facing increased scrutiny and detention by Nigerian authorities. Recently, ‘Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), was released on bail after turning himself in at the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) on August 14. Similarly, FIJ reporter Daniel Ojukwu was abducted by the police in May, spending 10 days in detention before being released. As part of his bail conditions, Ojukwu must now travel from Lagos to Abuja every two weeks.

These incidents raise ongoing concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists in Nigeria.

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