Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has officially confirmed the detention of journalist Zainab Sodiq at its National Headquarters in Abuja, stating that she is being investigated for allegedly operating an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, without the required End User Certificate (EUC). The confirmation, contained in a statement signed by the Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie, on Thursday, July 9, 2026, came after days of speculation and condemnation from civil society groups and the Take It Back Movement, who had accused the secret police of unlawfully detaining the journalist over her coverage of activist and AAC presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.
According to the DSS, Sodiq was intercepted on July 6, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, by officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security and DSS operatives while attempting to board a flight to Abuja. She was found in possession of a drone without the requisite End User Certificate, a document required under regulations issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) for the acquisition and operation of drones in Nigeria. "Subject was intercepted by FAAN AVSEC and operatives of DSS at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos on July 6, 2026 with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) enroute Abuja from MMIA border control without an 'End User Certificate' (EUC)," the statement read in part.
The DSS explained that when confronted, Sodiq admitted to not being in possession of the required documents. However, the agency stated that she was allowed to board her scheduled flight to Abuja because she had a prior engagement, with a directive to report to its headquarters on Wednesday, July 8, for the continuation of the investigation. "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 statement added.
The agency justified its action by citing global and domestic security concerns associated with the operation of drones, including privacy breaches and the safety of individuals. It also noted that the investigation is being conducted in line with NSA regulations, which empower the DSS to impound and sanction any individual or corporate entity operating Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) or drones in any part of the country without authorisation. "This action is necessitated by global and domestic security concerns associated with operation of drones, especially issues of privacy breaches and safety of individuals," the DSS said, reaffirming its commitment to professionalism and adherence to the rule of law.
However, Sowore has vehemently rejected the DSS's explanation, insisting that Sodiq was targeted because of her association with him and not because of the drone. In a statement shared on Thursday, the activist alleged that the DJI Mavic Air drone cited by the DSS belonged to him and had been used for media coverage of elections and other public events. "The DJI Mavic Air drone in question belongs personally to me. When DSS personnel at the Murtala Muhammed Airport domestic terminal seized it from Zainab on Monday on her way to Abuja, I personally spoke with their personnel in Lagos. I explained that the drone was mine, that Zainab was a journalist covering my activities, and that it was a commercial media drone I had used to cover elections and other public events," he said.
Sowore further alleged that the seizure of the drone was only a pretext, claiming the real objective was to prevent Sodiq from delivering his international passport to Abuja to enable him to perfect the bail recently granted to him by a Federal High Court. According to him, the journalist was carrying his passport because it was required to be deposited in court as part of the bail conditions imposed by Justice M.G. Umar. "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," he alleged.
Sowore also claimed that after the drone was seized, he instructed Sodiq to leave it with DSS operatives and proceed to Abuja because of the urgency of delivering his passport. He alleged that Sodiq later honoured an invitation to the DSS office in Abuja regarding the seized drone but was subsequently detained. In a later update, Sowore claimed that human rights lawyer Marshal D.F. Abubakar visited the DSS headquarters to inquire about her release but was allegedly informed that the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, was unhappy that Sowore had publicly raised concerns over her arrest and had consequently ordered that she remain in custody.
The Take It Back Movement has strongly condemned the arrest and detention of Sodiq, describing the action as unlawful and a dangerous assault on press freedom, democracy, and human rights. In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, the group said Sodiq was arrested solely for carrying out her professional responsibility as a journalist covering the public activities of Sowore. "The arrest of journalists for simply documenting events is a hallmark of authoritarian regimes. It has no place in a democratic society. Journalism is not a crime. Reporting the activities of public figures is not an offence. The Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and freedom of the press, and no security agency has the authority to criminalise legitimate journalistic work," the statement read.
The movement demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Sodiq and called on the DSS to publicly disclose the legal basis for her arrest. "We also demand that the DSS publicly disclose the legal basis for her arrest and desist from using state power to intimidate journalists and citizens exercising their lawful rights," the group said, warning that silence in the face of tyranny only emboldens those determined to dismantle democratic freedoms.
Sodiq's detention has sparked widespread concern over press freedom and the safety of journalists in Nigeria. The DSS is currently prosecuting Sowore over social media posts in which he referred to President Bola Tinubu as "a criminal." Sowore and his supporters have repeatedly accused the secret police of targeting individuals associated with his political and human rights activities through surveillance, harassment, detention, and intimidation. As of the time of filing this report, the DSS had not indicated when Sodiq would be released or whether she would be charged to court. The incident has once again raised questions about the balance between national security regulations and the fundamental rights of journalists to carry out their professional duties without harassment or arbitrary detention.
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