The Department of State Services (DSS) has released Adejuwon Soyinka, an investigative journalist and the Pioneer Editor of BBC Pidgin Service, following his arrest at Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos on Sunday.
Soyinka, who currently serves as the West African Regional Editor for The Conversation Africa, was detained by the DSS upon his arrival from the United Kingdom on a Virgin Atlantic flight around 5:40 a.m.
After several hours of interrogation, Soyinka was released, though his passport was confiscated by the security agency. As of now, no official reason has been provided for his detention.
Initially, Soyinka’s friends and colleagues raised concerns about his whereabouts, noting that all attempts to contact him had failed.
However, DSS spokesperson Peter Afunanya denied knowledge of the arrest, stating, “I am not aware of the matter you have raised.”
The situation has raised questions and concerns within the media community regarding the circumstances of his detention and the seizure of his travel documents.