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DSS Releases Journalist Adejuwon Soyinka After Brief Detention

Published

3 months ago

Aug 25, 2024.

The Department of State Services (DSS) has released Adejuwon Soyinka, the Regional Editor of The Conversation Africa and an investigative journalist, after briefly detaining him at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. Soyinka was arrested early Sunday morning upon his arrival from the United Kingdom on a Virgin Atlantic flight.

The DSS did not immediately disclose the reason for his detention, and initial attempts to reach Soyinka were unsuccessful.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that a friend of Soyinka, who informed *The Punch* about the arrest, expressed concern over the lack of communication and the unclear circumstances surrounding the detention.

He said, “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.

“As at the time of this report, no reason had been given for his detention by the security agency. Soyinka has not been reachable as messages and calls to his phone have been unanswered.”

DSS Releases Journalist Soyinka

However, in another message sent by his friend, he said Soyinka had been released by the DSS, who held him in their Ikoyi office.

The friend revealed that the DSS seized Soyinka’s passport.

“He has been released. They held onto his passport. He was released from their (DSS) Ikoyi office.”