Amnesty International Demands Release Of Detained Journalist As DSS Defends Arrest
By Sunday Etuka
Rights group Amnesty International has called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately and unconditionally release journalist Zainab Sodiq, who was detained after allegedly attempting to travel with a drone without permit.
Sodiq was intercepted by FAAN AVSEC and DSS operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos on July 6, 2026 with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) enroute Abuja from MMIA border control.
According to the DSS, she was carrying a DJI Mavic Air drone without an ‘End User Certificate’ (EUC), a document required under regulations issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) governing the acquisition and use of drones in Nigeria.
The DSS said Sodiq admitted, when interrogated, that she did not have the permit. Despite this, the Service said it allowed her to proceed to Abuja, in view of a prior engagement. However, she was directed to report on Wednesday, 8 July, for the continuation of the investigation.
Under the same NSA rules, the agency said it has the powers to impound and sanction any individual or corporate entity operating Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS)/Drones in any part of the country without authorization.
However, Amnesty International noted that the circumstances of her arrest strongly suggest that she was being targeted solely for her legitimate work as a journalist and that the official justification offered for her detention was being used as a pretext to prevent her from carrying out her professional duties and to unlawfully interfere with the public’s right to seek, receive and impart information.
“The continuing refusal to release Zainab Sodiq is a blatant abuse of power and a very worrying indication of the security agency’s lack of respect for human rights and the rule of law. The Nigerian authorities must not misuse administrative or regulatory requirements governing the possession or use of drones to criminalise or obstruct legitimate journalism.
“Any restriction on the right to freedom of expression must comply with the requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality under Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended), Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which Nigeria is a state party,” the rights group said.
It explained that the arrest and detention of Zainab Sodiq come amid an alarming pattern of shrinking civic space in Nigeria, where journalists, activists, and human rights defenders increasingly face arbitrary arrest, intimidation, harassment and prosecution and other reprisals for peacefully exercising their human rights.
“Many journalists have faced unfounded charges including criminal defamation, terrorism-related offences and cyberstalking, while others have been prosecuted under the widely criticised Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act,” it said. “Such actions are incompatible with the Nigerian obligations and the country’s international human rights obligations to respect and protect the rights to liberty, freedom of expression, media freedom and due process.”
The group urged the authorities to immediately release Zainab Sodiq and ensure she is able to freely exercise her human rights without any reprisals.
“Authorities must promptly, thoroughly, independently, impartially, transparently and effectively investigate the circumstances surrounding her arrest and detention including the due process violations she faced since her arrest and bring to justice anyone suspected to be responsible. They must ensure access to justice and effective remedies for Zainab Sodiq.
“Authorities must also end the use of arbitrary arrest, detention and abusive criminal laws to intimidate journalists and ensure that media professionals can carry out their work freely, safely and without fear of reprisals,” it said.
