The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Department of State Services (DSS) of detaining journalist Zainab Sodiq to deliberately frustrate his ongoing bail process. Sodiq, who covers Sowore’s public engagements, was taken into custody at the DSS headquarters in Abuja, sparking a sharp exchange between the activist and the secret police.
While the DSS maintains that the journalist was intercepted for carrying an unauthorized drone, Sowore insists the detention is a targeted attempt to sabotage his legal freedom. The activist revealed that Sodiq was transporting his international passport, which is essential for fulfilling the bail conditions imposed on him by the court.
DSS Cites Security Breach Over Drone Possession
In a statement signed by Favour Dozie, the Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, the DSS disclosed that Sodiq was intercepted at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport while travelling from Lagos to Abuja. According to the security agency, she failed to produce an End User Certificate (EUC), which is required by the Office of the National Security Adviser for operating Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) or drones.
“When confronted, she admitted to not being in possession of the required documents,” the DSS statement read in part. “Following due process, Sodiq was allowed to board her scheduled flight in view of a prior engagement in Abuja. She was, however, directed to report on Wednesday, 8 July, for the continuation of the investigation.” The agency added that the investigation was necessitated by global and domestic security concerns, particularly regarding privacy breaches and public safety.
Sowore Alleges Sabotage and Jail Plot
Rejecting the security agency’s explanation, Sowore described the DSS statement as a “hurriedly put together fable.” He clarified that the drone belonged to him and was only with Sodiq because of her media duties. He further alleged that the DSS used the drone issue as a pretext to confiscate his passport and disrupt his bail perfection, which stems from state charges of criminal defamation and cybercrime against him.
“The real objective was to prevent Zainab from reaching Abuja with my international passport, frustrate the perfection of my bail, and create an excuse to send me back to the overcrowded Kuje Prison,” Sowore stated. He added that the journalist had also sworn to an affidavit connected to his bail and was detained so abruptly upon arriving at the DSS office that she could not even pay her ride-hailing driver.
Legal Representation Blocked Over Social Media Outcry
Sowore further claimed that when his legal team intervened, the DSS leadership shifted its focus from the legality of the detention to irritation over the public exposure of the incident. DSS Director General Adeola Ajayi reportedly acknowledged the custody to defense lawyer Marshal Abubakar but altered the terms of her release after Sowore publicised the arrest on social media.
“Instead of addressing the legality of holding a Nigerian citizen, the concern of Tosin Ajayi became that I had posted about it on social media,” Sowore added. This development follows growing scrutiny of the DSS’s relationship with the press, coming just a month after the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) controversially named the DSS Director General its ‘Man of the Year’ despite ongoing state prosecutions of media personnel and whistleblowers.
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