You may have seen activist Omoyele Sowore's name in the news before. He's the publisher of Sahara Reporters, a online news platform. On 6 July, he raised an alarm that journalist Zainab Sodiq, who was working for him, had been arrested. According to Sowore, the arrest was aimed at frustrating his bail.
Zainab Sodiq was allegedly intercepted by aviation security officials and SSS operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, while travelling to Abuja with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone. The State Security Service (SSS) said in a statement that she did not possess an End User Certificate (EUC), a document required under national security regulations governing the acquisition and use of drones in Nigeria.
The SSS said the investigation was being conducted under extant regulations issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which empower security agencies to impound and sanction individuals or organisations operating remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS), or drones, without the required authorisation. According to the SSS, the action is necessitated by global and domestic security concerns associated with the operation of drones.
Omoyele Sowore has rejected the SSS explanation, alleging that Zainab Sodiq was detained because of her association with him and not because of the drone. He said the DJI Mavic Air drone seized by SSS operatives belonged to him and had been used for legitimate media coverage, including elections and other public events. He claimed he personally informed SSS personnel in Lagos that the drone was his and that Zainab Sodiq was only transporting it.
But the SSS statement made no reference to him, his court proceedings or his allegations, maintaining that the investigation relates solely to Zainab Sodiq's alleged failure to possess the required End User Certificate. Nigeria has significantly tightened regulations governing drones in recent years as security agencies respond to growing concerns over their use by criminal and terrorist groups.
Omoyele Sowore is currently standing trial on charges of alleged cybercrime and criminal defamation over social media posts about President Bola Tinubu. After his earlier bail was revoked for failing to appear in court, he was remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre before being granted fresh bail on 30 June by Justice Mohammed Umar under stricter conditions, including a N200 million bond, two sureties, and the deposit of his international passport.
The SSS said Zainab Sodiq was allowed to board her flight because she had a prior engagement in Abuja but was directed to report to the agency on Wednesday for the continuation of its investigation. This incident has sparked a heated debate about the limits of press freedom in Nigeria and the powers of the State Security Service.
The detention of Zainab Sodiq is the latest in a series of incidents involving the SSS and opposition figures. The agency said the investigation was being conducted under extant regulations.
Sowore's trial started in 2019 after he was accused of treasonable felony for calling for mass protests to demand President Muhammadu Buhari's resignation. He was granted bail in 2015 but re-arrested in 2019 for allegedly planning a terrorist attack.
The SSS did not respond to a request for comment on the allegations made by Sowore.