The Conversation Africa’s regional editor and investigative journalist Adejuwon Soyinka, has been released by the Department of State Service, DSS.
On Sunday, the Department of State Services arrested Soyinka at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos State.
One of Soyinka’s friends sent a distress message to The Punch, stating that he was pulled up shortly after landing from the UK.
According to the message, there was no explanation offered for Soyinka’s detention, and he was held incommunicado.
The message read, “Adejuwon Soyinka has been detained by officers of the Department of State Security at the Muritala 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.
“As of 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.”
When contacted, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya claimed he was unaware of Soyinka’s detention.
However, in another communication, his friend stated that Soyinka had been freed by the DSS after being held in their Ikoyi headquarters.
The friend informed our journalist that the DSS had seized Soyinka’s passport.
“He has been released. They held onto his passport. He was released from their (DSS) Ikoyi office.”
