The Department of State Services (DSS) has explained the circumstances surrounding the arrest and detention of journalist Zainab Sodiq, stating that she was intercepted for being in possession of a drone without the required regulatory documentation.
The clarification followed allegations by human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, who claimed that Sodiq was arrested because of her work covering his activities and described the action as an attempt to intimidate journalists.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications of the DSS, Favour Dozie, said Sodiq was intercepted on July 6, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, by operatives of the Aviation Security unit of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the DSS while attempting to board a flight to Abuja.
According to the agency, she was found with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, but was unable to produce the mandatory End User Certificate required under existing regulations governing the acquisition and operation of drones in Nigeria.
The DSS said the restrictions were issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser and empower the service to monitor, impound and sanction unauthorised drone operations due to growing national security concerns.
“When confronted, she admitted to not being in possession of the required documents,” the statement said.
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The service added that although she was initially intercepted, she was allowed to board her scheduled flight to Abuja because of what it described as a prior engagement.
However, she was instructed to report to the DSS headquarters on Wednesday, July 8, for the continuation of the investigation.
The agency confirmed that Sodiq is currently at its national headquarters in Abuja as investigations continue into what it described as the unauthorised use of a remotely piloted aircraft system.
Earlier, Sowore had alleged on his verified X account that the journalist was arrested because of her role in covering his daily activities.
“DSS has just arrested Zainab Sodiq, the journalist who covers my daily activities, and detained her at its headquarters in Abuja. Her only ‘crime’ is doing her job as a journalist,” Sowore wrote.
The activist also accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of targeting journalists and political critics, describing the arrest as an attempt to suppress press freedom.
The DSS, however, maintained that Sodiq’s arrest was based solely on alleged non-compliance with existing regulations governing the possession and use of drones in Nigeria and not on her profession or media activities.