Adejuwon Soyinka, Regional Editor for West Africa at The Conversation Africa and founding Editor of BBC Pidgin Service, was reportedly arrested by Department of State Security (DSS) personnel in Lagos.
Soyinka was reportedly seized at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport about 5:40 a.m. on Sunday, August 25, 2024, shortly after landing in Nigeria via a Virgin Atlantic aircraft from the United Kingdom.
Attempts to contact Soyinka have been futile, with calls and messages on his phone going unanswered.
A close friend of Soyinka (who would like to remain anonymous) told journalists that Adejuwon Soyinka was detained by officers of the Department of State Security at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
“The incident happened around 5:40 a.m. on Sunday, August 25, 2024, shortly after he landed in Nigeria aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight from the United Kingdom.
As of the time of this report, the security service has not stated a justification for his incarceration. Soyinka is inaccessible, and all attempts to contact him have failed.
Bottom Line
Soyinka’s work, both with The Conversation Africa and BBC Pidgin, has made him a well-known figure in media, especially in the context of West African journalism.
Any action against such person can have a chilling effect on press freedom, potentially discouraging investigative reporting and open discourse on critical issues.
The DSS’s silence on the matter is particularly troubling, as transparency and accountability are essential in maintaining public trust in security agencies.
