Adejuwon Soyinka, the Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa and a prominent investigative journalist, has been released after being detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Muritala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Soyinka was arrested early Sunday morning shortly after arriving in Nigeria on a Virgin Atlantic flight from the United Kingdom.
The incident occurred around 5:40 am, and his arrest immediately sparked concern among his colleagues and friends, who reported that he was held incommunicado.
According to the Punch Newspaper, “It was revealed that no explanation was provided for his detention, and all attempts to reach him by phone had gone unanswered”.
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“When contacted for comment, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya claimed he was unaware of the situation, stating, “I am not aware of the matter you have raised and have no comments on it.”
However, in a subsequent update, Soyinka’s friend confirmed that he has been released by the DSS. He was reportedly held at their Ikoyi office in Lagos where his passport was confiscated before his release.
“He has been released. They held onto his passport. He was released from their (DSS) Ikoyi office,” the friend disclosed.”