The Department of State Services has released Adejuwon Soyinka, the Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa and an investigative journalist, after detaining him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Soyinka was arrested on Sunday, August 25, 2024, shortly after arriving from the United Kingdom.
According to the PUNCH one of Soyinka’s friends revealed that he was picked up by DSS operatives around 5:40 am after his Virgin Atlantic flight landed.
The friend stated, “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.”
He further noted that no reason was provided for Soyinka’s arrest, and he was held incommunicado. “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,” the friend added.
When contacted about the situation, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya stated, “I am not aware of the matter you have raised and have no comments on it.”
Later, another message from Soyinka’s friend confirmed his release. The friend confirmed that while Soyinka had been released from the DSS office in Ikoyi, Lagos, the security agency withheld his passport. “He has been released. They held onto his passport. He was released from their Ikoyi office,” the friend said.
As of now, the reason for Soyinka’s arrest and the withholding of his passport remains unclear.
