Foreign Press Association Condemns DSS Over Detention of Journalist Adejuwon Soyinka
The Foreign Press Association, Africa (FPAA) has strongly condemned the recent actions of Nigeria’s State Security Services (DSS) following the arrest and detention of Adejuwon Soyinka, the West Africa Editor for The Conversation Africa, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Soyinka, a respected journalist and board member of the FPAA, was detained on Sunday, August 25, 2024, upon his return from the United Kingdom.
According to a statement released by the FPAA, DSS operatives informed Soyinka that he was placed on a watchlist but failed to provide any justification for this action.
Despite admitting that they had no specific issue with Soyinka, the DSS confiscated his international passport and instructed him to report to their office the following day, an act the FPAA described as “blatant harassment and intimidation.”
The FPAA expressed deep concern over the circumstances surrounding Soyinka’s detention, highlighting the troubling nature of the incident.
“The DSS, in its admission, says that they had no particular issue with him, but shockingly claims that Soyinka was placed on a watchlist status by an unidentified government agency after a long 13 hours of interrogation,” the FPAA noted.
The association criticized the DSS’s actions as a direct attack on press freedom and the democratic principles that should protect journalists from unwarranted persecution.
The FPAA emphasized that the arrest and detention of Soyinka without probable cause were unacceptable and indicative of a broader trend of repression against journalists in Nigeria.
“The arrest and detention of Mr. Soyinka without probable cause is a direct attack on the very principles of democracy,” the FPAA stated.
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The organisation also raised alarm over the increasing number of attacks on journalists in Nigeria, citing recent incidents where state security agents have used brutal force, including live ammunition, against reporters covering protests.
The FPAA called on the Nigerian government to respect international conventions related to the safety of journalists and to immediately halt any further harassment of Soyinka.
“We demand the immediate return of Mr. Soyinka’s passport, an apology to him, and an end to any further harassment disguised as further questioning,” the FPAA demanded.
The association also urged the Nigerian government to provide full transparency regarding the reasons for Soyinka’s detention. “We also call for full transparency from the DSS and other government agencies regarding the circumstances of his arrest,” the FPAA added.
The FPAA concluded its statement by appealing to the international community and defenders of press freedom to take note of this incident and to join in condemning the actions of the DSS.
“The FPAA stands resolute in its commitment to defending press freedoms across Africa and will continue to hold accountable those who seek to undermine these freedoms,” the association declared.
