TDRenowned Nigerian novelist, journalist, and academic, Prof. Okey Ndibe, was reportedly detained by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) upon his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, on Monday.
Ndibe, who arrived in Nigeria earlier in the day, disclosed his detention in a message posted on social media.
“I’ve been with the SSS now for more than an hour. They’re waiting for clearance from some ọga before they let me go,” he wrote.
Sources close to the acclaimed author said he remained in the custody of the secret police hours after his arrival.
According to reports, Ndibe’s detention upon entering Nigeria has occurred on several occasions dating back to the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, allegedly due to his critical commentaries on governance and leadership in the country.
However, associates noted that the professor has largely stepped away from writing for the Nigerian media over the past two years, focusing instead on book writing and his academic duties at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the United States, his alma mater.
Reacting to the latest incident, a close friend of the writer, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, a former Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment in Anambra State, described the repeated detentions as unfortunate and unnecessary.
According to Adinuba, whenever Ndibe was detained in the past, airport DSS officials would contact their superiors in Abuja before eventually releasing him.
“It is a pity that this agency doesn’t update its database to enable the officers on duty at the airport to know that the agency no longer regards Prof. Ndibe as a security threat to the administration,” Adinuba said.
“The agency has on each occasion apologized to him for the wrongful detention.”
As of the time of filing this report, the DSS had not issued an official statement regarding the circumstances surrounding Ndibe’s detention or whether he had been released.
Prof. Ndibe is widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s foremost literary figures and public intellectuals, known for his contributions to literature, journalism, and public discourse.
