Adejuwon Soyinka, a journalist with the Conversation Africa, was arrested in Lagos by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Sunday after he was placed on a watchlist by some unnamed agency.
The Conversation Africa told FIJ on Monday morning, in an email exchange and in a now-published statement, that Soyinka, its West Africa editor, was detained for six hours after the DSS officials stopped him on the basis that something was wrong with his passport.
The outlet also said that the security agency withheld the journalist’s international passport after the unnamed security agency said it no longer needed him.
READ ALSO: UPDATED: DSS Arrests Conversation Africa Journalist at Lagos Airport
“Soyinka was detained for six hours on Sunday (25 August 2024) when he landed in Lagos on a flight from the United Kingdom. He was stopped by immigration officials on the basis that there was a problem with his passport,” The Conversation Africa said.
“However, he was later told during questioning by the DSS that his name had been placed on a watchlist by another unnamed state security agency for reasons that were not explained.
“He was later released. But his passport was withheld, pending confirmation by the Department of State Security that the unnamed agency that placed him on a watch list was no longer interested in him.”
The Conversation Africa further stated that Soyinka’s harassment would be remembered as a chilling experience both for journalism and the academic world.
READ ALSO: Police Locked Me Up With Confessed Murderers, FIJ’s Daniel Ojukwu Reveals
With his arrest, Soyinka joins an expanding list of journalists hounded by the Nigerian government, even though President Bola Tinubu during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, had promised his government would uphold press freedom in the country.
‘Fisayo Soyombo, the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), was released on bail by the police after turning himself in at the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) on August 14.
Similarly, Daniel Ojukwu, a reporter with FIJ was abducted by the police in May and spent 10 days in detention before his release.
As part of his bail conditions, Ojukwu has to travel from Lagos to Abuja every two weeks. The same condition was applied to FIJ’s founder.
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