TD The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed the detention of journalist Zainab Sodiq, saying she is under investigation for allegedly transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, without the required authorization.
This was contained in a statement issued on Thursday by Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie.
The DSS said Sodiq was intercepted on July 6, 2026, by operatives of the Service and officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security (AVSEC) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.
According to the agency, Sodiq was preparing to board a flight to Abuja with a drone but was unable to produce an End User Certificate (EUC.
EUC is a document required under regulations issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) governing the acquisition and operation of drones in Nigeria.
The DSS said Sodiq admitted she did not possess the required documentation.
Sodiq Temporarily Released
However, she was allowed to continue her journey to Abuja because of what it described as a prior engagement.
She was instructed to report to the Service’s National Headquarters on Wednesday, July 8, for the continuation of the investigation.
The Service stated that its actions were in line with existing regulations.
Such regulations empowered the DSS to impound and sanction individuals or corporate bodies operating Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), or drones, without authorization.
It added that the investigation was prompted by growing domestic and global security concerns surrounding drone operations, including issues of public safety and privacy.
“The Service reaffirms its commitment to professionalism and adherence to the rule of law,” the statement said.
Omoyele Sowore Wades In
Meanwhile, human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has strongly condemned the detention, describing it as illegal and politically motivated.
In a post on social media, Sowore alleged that the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, had decided not to release Sodiq because he publicised her detention.
He described the alleged decision as “lawlessness and insanity,” claiming that detaining a journalist and threatening to prolong the detention because the matter became public amounted to an abuse of power.
Sowore called for Sodiq’s immediate and unconditional release, insisting that “no amount of blackmail, intimidation, or hostage-taking will silence us.”
In a subsequent update, he claimed that human rights lawyer Marshal D. F. Abubakar visited the DSS headquarters but was informed that the agency’s Director-General was displeased over social media posts regarding Sodiq’s arrest and had therefore declined to authorize her release.
The DSS has not publicly responded to Sowore’s allegations regarding the reasons for Sodiq’s continued detention. As of the time of filing this report, there has also been no independent confirmation of the activist’s claims.
The case has sparked renewed debate over the enforcement of Nigeria’s drone regulations, as well as concerns raised by press freedom advocates over the detention of journalists in the course of their work.
