Department of State Services logo: Photo: DSS
The Department of State Services has denied reports that it arrested or detained writer and academic Okey Ndibe at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on June 1, 2026.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie, the Service said its interaction with Ndibe at the airport was part of a routine process to review and remove individuals from its watchlist.
“The Department of State Services hereby clarifies that it did not arrest or detain Prof Okey Ndibe at Murtala Muhammed International Airport on June 1, 2026 or any other place on that date for that matter,” the statement said.
The DSS explained that the current Director-General had, upon assuming office, ordered a review of old Watch-List Actions, some of which date back to the military era, to prevent citizens from being unnecessarily embarrassed by outdated security alerts.
