Human rights activist and the presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has accused the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Adeola Ajayi, of deliberately refusing to release journalist Zainab Sodiq because news of her arrest became public.
Sowore alleged that the continued detention of the journalist was not based on any criminal offence but was a retaliatory move by the secret police after widespread public attention was drawn to the incident.
According to him, Sodiq, who has worked as a journalist covering his activities over the years, was allegedly invited to Abuja by officials of the DSS under the guise of collecting a drone that had earlier been confiscated while she was covering an assignment at the domestic wing of the Lagos airport.
He claimed that shortly after honouring the invitation, Sodiq became unreachable, sparking concerns among her colleagues, family members and associates. It was later discovered, he alleged, that she had been taken into custody by the DSS.
Sowore further alleged that the agency had initially intended to detain and quietly release the journalist without attracting public attention, but changed course after reports of her detention began circulating widely across news platforms and social media.
According to him, the decision to continue holding Sodiq was motivated by anger over the public exposure of the incident rather than any legitimate security concern.
He maintained that the journalist had committed no offence warranting her continued detention and accused the DSS of using its powers to intimidate members of the press and individuals perceived to be associated with him.
“The DSS planned to arrest her in secret and quietly let her go, but because the detention became public knowledge, they decided to keep her in custody,” Sowore alleged, insisting that the action amounted to an abuse of power and an assault on press freedom.
Sources familiar with the matter said concerned colleagues repeatedly contacted a DSS operative identified simply as “Musa,” who allegedly invited Sodiq to Abuja. The officer reportedly assured them that she would soon regain her freedom but later became unreachable, with some callers claiming their numbers were blocked after making repeated enquiries.
The activist called for Sodiq’s immediate and unconditional release, arguing that no democratic government should permit journalists to be detained without publicly stating the legal basis for their arrest or filing charges before a competent court.
He warned that arbitrary detention of journalists poses a serious threat to constitutional rights, freedom of expression and media independence, stressing that security agencies must remain accountable to the rule of law.
As of the time of filing this report, the Department of State Services had not issued any official statement explaining the circumstances surrounding Sodiq’s detention or announced any criminal charges against her. The agency had also not publicly responded to the allegations made by Sowore.
The development has sparked fresh concerns among journalists, civil society organisations and human rights advocates, who argue that the continued detention of media practitioners without due process undermines democratic accountability and further fuels fears of shrinking civic space in Nigeria.