DSS attributes ex-BBC Editor’s arrest to mistaken identity

 

By Luminous Jannamike

The Department of State Services, DSS, has released the seized passport of a former BBC Editor, Adejuwon Soyinka, following international condemnation of his detention.

Soyinka, West African Editor of The Conversation Africa, was arrested on August 25, 2024, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, shortly after arriving from the United Kingdom. The arrest was, however, attributed to ‘mistaken identity.’

However, the International Press Institute, IPI, Nigeria, intervened, securing Soyinka’s release within hours. His passport remained seized until Friday when it was returned to him at the DSS office in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, accompanied Soyinka to retrieve his passport. Effiong stated that the DSS attributed the arrest to mistaken identity, raising concerns about the agency’s transparency and accountability.

“The DSS attributed the arrest of Adejuwon Soyinka to mistaken identity, which raised more questions than answers,” Effiong said.

Soyinka’s detention is the latest incident in a growing trend of attacks on journalists in President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Recent cases include Segun Olatunji, former FirstNews editor, arrested in March, Daniel Ojukwu, Foundation for Investigative Journalism ,FIJ, journalist, detained for 10 days in May, and Jamil Mabai, freelance journalist, detained by Katsina Hisbah religious police.

The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, NPF-NCCC, also detained several journalists and whistleblowers over petitions filed against them.

The incidents have sparked widespread criticisms from press freedom advocates, highlighting Nigeria’s deteriorating human rights record.

“Press freedom is a cornerstone of democracy, providing the transparency necessary for accountability and good governance. The ongoing persecution of journalists runs contrary to these principles and undermines the role of the press in fostering an informed and engaged citizenry,” said Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism, CCIJ.

Recall that the DSS’s actions had drawn international scrutiny, with global organisations condemning Soyinka’s detention and calling for increased protection for Nigerian journalists.