Security agents from the Department of State Services (DSS) have released investigative journalist Adejuwon Soyinka, hours after he was detained at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
News About Nigeria reported that Soyinka, the Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa, was arrested on Sunday, shortly after arriving from the UK.
According to a report by Punch, a friend of Soyinka’s raised the alarm, revealing that he was apprehended around 5:40 a.m. on August 25, 2024, after disembarking from a Virgin Atlantic flight.
The friend stated that no explanation was given for the arrest, and Soyinka was held without access to communication.
The message from Soyinka’s friend read, “Adejuwon Soyinka has been detained by officers of the Department of State Security at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. The incident happened around 5:40 a.m. on Sunday, the 25th of August, 2024, shortly after he arrived in Nigeria via a Virgin Atlantic flight from the United Kingdom. As at the time of this report, no reason had been given for his detention by the security agency. Soyinka has not been reachable as messages and calls to his phone have been unanswered.”
Initially, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya claimed he was unaware of Soyinka’s arrest, despite multiple attempts by newsmen to confirm the situation.
However, he later acknowledged that Soyinka was detained at the request of another agency.
The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, a global network of editors, media executives, and communication experts, intervened in the matter, leading to Soyinka’s release.
The reasons for his detention remain undisclosed, though it is speculated to be part of an increasing crackdown on journalists in Nigeria.
