Zainab Sodiq, the journalist whose detention by the State Security Service (SSS), also known as DSS, sparked criticism from rights groups and press freedom advocates, has regained her freedom after days in the agency’s custody.
Activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore announced her release on Friday, attributing it to sustained pressure from Nigerians, civil society groups and lawyers who demanded her freedom.
“We have good news! Ms Zainab Sadiq is finally free from the grip of repression,” Mr Sowore wrote in a Facebook post, thanking human rights lawyer Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the President of International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, Musikilu Mojeed, human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju, Amnesty International Nigeria, members of the Take It Back Movement, journalists and other Nigerians for their intervention.
Ms Sodiq’s release comes a day after the SSS publicly defended her detention, saying she was being investigated for allegedly transporting a drone without the required End User Certificate (EUC), a security clearance required under regulations administered by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for certain categories of drones.
