Journalist Zainab Sodiq has been detained by the Department of State Services over allegations that she operated a drone without the required approval, a claim the agency says is under investigation.
The detention has drawn criticism from African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and the Take It Back Movement, both of which described the action as unlawful and demanded her immediate release.
In a statement released on Thursday, the DSS said Sodiq was stopped by personnel of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria’s Aviation Security and DSS officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on July 6 while travelling to Abuja with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle.
The agency said she could not provide the End User Certificate required for the purchase and use of drones in Nigeria.
It stated, “The Department of State Services confirms detention of one Zainab Sodiq at its National Headquarters, Abuja. Subject was intercepted by FAAN AVSEC and operatives of DSS at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on July 6, 2026, with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle en route Abuja from MMIA without an End User Certificate.”
According to the DSS, Sodiq acknowledged that she did not have the required documentation. It added that she was initially allowed to continue her trip because of an earlier commitment but was instructed to appear at its Abuja headquarters on Wednesday to continue the investigation.
The agency explained that the probe was in line with regulations issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser governing the use of drones.
It said, “Service investigation has commenced. This action is necessitated by global and domestic security concerns associated with operation of drones, especially issues of privacy breaches and safety of individuals.”
The DSS also maintained that its actions complied with the law.
Sowore, however, dismissed the agency’s explanation, insisting the drone belonged to him and that Sodiq was simply carrying out her duties as a journalist.
He said, “The DJI Mavic Air drone in question belongs personally to me.
“When DSS personnel at the Murtala Muhammed Airport domestic terminal seized it from Zainab on Monday on her way to Abuja, I personally spoke with their personnel in Lagos.
“I explained that the drone was mine, that Zainab was a journalist covering my activities, and that it was a commercial media drone I had used to cover elections and other public events.”
Sowore alleged that the real reason for the action was to stop Sodiq from delivering his international passport to Abuja for the perfection of his bail.
According to him, “The real objective was to prevent Zainab from reaching Abuja with my international passport, frustrate the perfection of my bail, and create an excuse to send me back to the overcrowded Kuje Prison.”
He further claimed that after honouring the DSS invitation in Abuja over the seized drone, Sodiq was immediately taken into custody.
Sowore also alleged that although the DSS initially described the issue as a “routine screening,” its position changed after he publicised the detention online.
He said, “We were later told that the DSS leadership was angry because I had publicly exposed Zainab’s unlawful detention via social media posts.
“Instead of addressing the legality of holding a Nigerian citizen, the concern of Tosin Ajayi became that I had posted about it on social media.”
The Take It Back Movement also criticised the detention, arguing that Sodiq was only carrying out legitimate journalistic work.
It said, “This is not merely about Zainab Sodiq. This is about Omoyele Sowore. This is about the increasing desperation of the Tinubu government and its security machinery to intimidate everyone connected to Sowore, everyone who reports on Sowore, everyone who supports Sowore, and every Nigerian who dares to speak truth to power.”
The group added, “A journalist carrying out her lawful duty is not a criminal. Covering the activities of an opposition figure is not a crime. Possessing media equipment is not a crime. Asking questions is not a crime. Reporting the truth is not a crime.
“The real crime is the use of state security agencies to suppress citizens, silence journalists, intimidate activists, and protect those in power from public accountability.”
It urged the DSS to either release the journalist immediately or arraign her before a competent court if it believes she committed an offence.
