The Department of State Services (DSS) has returned the passport of Adejuwon Soyinka, a former BBC editor and current West African editor for The Conversation Africa, following intense international criticism over his detention.
Soyinka was arrested on August 25 at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos shortly after arriving from the United Kingdom. The DSS attributed his arrest to a case of “mistaken identity.”
The International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria quickly intervened, securing Soyinka’s release within hours of his detention.
However, the DSS retained his passport until Friday, when it was handed back to him at their office in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Accompanied by human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong, Soyinka went to retrieve his passport.
Effiong expressed concerns about the DSS’s explanation for the arrest, stating, “The DSS attributed the arrest of Adejuwon Soyinka to mistaken identity, which raised more questions than answers.”
Soyinka’s detention is the latest in a series of troubling incidents targeting journalists under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
These actions have drawn widespread condemnation from press freedom advocates both domestically and internationally.
In recent months, other journalists have faced similar threats. Segun Olatunji, a former FirstNews editor, was arrested in March; Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), was detained for 10 days in May; and Jamil Mabai, a freelance journalist, was detained by the Katsina Hisbah religious police.
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) has also detained several journalists and whistleblowers based on petitions filed against them.
These incidents have raised alarms about the state of press freedom in Nigeria.
“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 the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism (CCIJ).
The international community has also voiced concern over Nigeria’s deteriorating human rights record, with global organizations condemning the detention of Soyinka and calling for stronger protections for journalists in the country.
