The Department of Security Service (DSS) Sunday said it “intercepted” Adejuwon Soyinka the regional editor of The Conversation Africa on a request from another government agency.
“We (DSS) are working on Adejuwon Soyinka’s case,” the Peter Afunaya, the service’s spokesperson said in a text to Premium Times.
He didn’t shed more light on the identity of the agency who asked for Soyinka’s arrest.
BusinessDay earlier reported that the investigative journalist was arrested at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Sunday.
Soyinka was picked up shortly after arriving from the United Kingdom, a message sent to Punch by the journalist’s friend revealed.
“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 am on Sunday, the 25th of August, 2024, shortly after he arrived in Nigeria via a Virgin Atlantic flight from the United Kingdom,” the message read.
“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.”
He has, however, been released after six hours in detention.
His release follows the intervention of International Press Institute Nigeria.
As part of his bail conditions, the agency seized his passport and asked him to provide his Nigerian address and reliable phone number through which he can be reached anytime in Nigeria.
