The Department of State Services (DSS) has released the pioneer editor of BBC Pidgin Service Adejuwon Soyinka who was arrested on Sunday morning.
The journalist, now West African regional editor of The Conversation Africa, was detained by DSS operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos around 5.40 a.m.
This happened upon his arrival from the United Kingdom via a Virgin Atlantic flight.
A friend of Mr Soyinka sent a distress message to PUNCH which reads, “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.”
DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya earlier said he was not aware of Soyinka’s arrest.
He later told Premium Times that the DSS “intercepted” the journalist based on a request from another government agency.
“We are working on Adejuwon Soyinka’s case,” he was quoted as saying.
Mr Afunanya did not provide the identity of the agency on whose behalf the arrest was carried out.
The online newspaper said it learnt from a DSS source that in the event the secret police are unable to promptly communicate with the agency requesting the arrest, the journalist would be released and asked to report back on Monday.
Soyinka’s friend later on Sunday said the journalist had been released.
“He has been released. They held onto his passport. He was released from their (DSS) Ikoyi office,” the unidentified friend was quoted as saying.
Soyinka was a media aide of former governor Ibikunle Amosun before joining BBC.
