The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied arresting or detaining writer and academic Okey Ndibe at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, on June 1, 2026.
In a statement issued by the Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie, the Service on Tuesday explained that 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Actions, some of which date back to the military era, to prevent citizens from being unnecessarily embarrassed by outdated security alerts.
According to the Service, individuals previously placed on watchlists are routinely invited for interaction as part of a review process that could lead to the downgrading or removal of their watchlist status.
“In this regard, all those who had previously been watchlisted while on transit are routinely interfaced with as a prerequisite for a review and possible downgrade of the Action. This, being a precursor to a final delisting in accordance with international best practices,” the DSS stated.
