The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed the detention of journalist Zainab Sodiq, saying she is being investigated over the alleged operation of a drone without the required authorisation.
The confirmation follows allegations by former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and the Take It Back Movement, who accused the secret police of unlawfully detaining the journalist and demanded her immediate release.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the DSS said Sodiq was intercepted on July 6 at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, by officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security and DSS operatives while travelling to Abuja with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
According to the agency, Sodiq could not produce the required End User Certificate, a document mandated under existing regulations governing the acquisition and operation of drones in Nigeria. The service said she admitted she did not have the necessary authorisation.
Despite the discovery, the DSS said Sodiq was allowed to board her flight because she had a prior engagement in Abuja. It added that she was instructed to report to its National Headquarters on Wednesday to continue investigations, where she is currently being held.
The agency said the probe is being conducted in line with regulations issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which empower security agencies to seize and investigate drones operated without proper authorisation due to national security concerns.
“This action is necessitated by global and domestic security concerns associated with the operation of drones, especially issues of privacy breaches and safety of individuals,” the DSS said, adding that it remains committed to professionalism and the rule of law.
However, Sowore rejected the DSS’s explanation, insisting the detention was politically motivated. In a statement released on Thursday, the activist said the DJI Mavic Air drone belonged to him and had been used legally for media coverage of elections and other public events.
Sowore claimed he personally informed DSS operatives in Lagos that the drone was his and that Sodiq was travelling as a journalist covering his activities. He further alleged that the real reason for the seizure was to prevent Sodiq from delivering his international passport to Abuja, where it was required to fulfil the bail conditions imposed by a Federal High Court.
According to him, after leaving the drone with security officials as instructed, Sodiq later honoured an invitation to the DSS headquarters in Abuja to address questions about the equipment but was detained on arrival. He also alleged that the service became displeased after he publicised the detention on social media.
The Take It Back Movement also criticised the journalist’s detention, alleging she was invited to Abuja under the pretext of retrieving her drone equipment before being taken into custody. The group argued that journalism and political reporting should not be criminalised and called on the DSS to either release Sodiq immediately or charge her before a competent court if any offence had been committed.
As of the time of filing this report, the DSS had not responded to Sowore’s allegations beyond its official statement that the detention is linked to an ongoing investigation into the alleged unauthorised possession of a drone.
