The Department of State Services (DSS) has defended the detention of journalist Zainab Sodiq, maintaining that she is under investigation for allegedly travelling with a drone without the documentation required under Nigerian regulations.

The clarification came after former African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, and the Take It Back Movement accused the security agency of unlawfully holding the reporter and demanded her immediate release.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the DSS said Sodiq came to its attention on 6 July after officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria Aviation Security (FAAN AVSEC), working alongside DSS operatives, intercepted her at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos while she was travelling to Abuja with an unmanned aerial vehicle.

According to the agency, she could not produce the End User Certificate required for the acquisition and operation of drones in Nigeria.

“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,” the statement read.

The service said Sodiq acknowledged during questioning that she did not have the required approval documents. It added that despite the discovery, she was permitted to continue her journey to Abuja because of an earlier commitment, with instructions to report to its headquarters on Wednesday to continue the investigation.

The DSS said its actions were guided by regulations issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser, which empower it to seize drones and sanction individuals or organisations found operating them without the necessary authorisation.

“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 stated.

The agency also insisted that it remained committed to professionalism and the rule of law.

Sowore, however, disputed the official account, arguing that the drone issue was merely a cover for what he described as an attempt to target a journalist associated with him.

In his own statement, the activist said the DJI Mavic Air drone belonged to him and had been deployed for legitimate media work, including election coverage.

“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,” he said.

Sowore further claimed the real purpose of the operation was to prevent Sodiq from delivering his international passport to Abuja, where it was needed to fulfil bail conditions imposed by Justice M.G. Umar of the Federal High Court.

“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 alleged.

He said that after the drone was confiscated, he directed the journalist to leave it with DSS officials and proceed with the passport because of the urgency of the court process.

According to him, Sodiq later honoured an invitation to the DSS office in Abuja over the seized drone but was immediately detained on arrival.

Sowore also claimed lawyers acting for him contacted the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, who initially described the matter as a “routine screening” linked to the drone.

He alleged that the agency’s attitude changed after news of the detention was publicised on social media.

“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,” he alleged.

The Take It Back Movement also condemned the detention, alleging that Sodiq was persuaded to travel to Abuja on the understanding that she would retrieve her seized equipment, only to be taken into custody.

The group maintained that the journalist was carrying out legitimate professional duties and should not face intimidation because of her work.

“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 said.

It further argued that journalism and political reporting must not be treated as criminal acts in a democratic society.

“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,” the statement added.

The movement urged the DSS to either release Sodiq immediately or arraign her before a court if it believes she has committed any offence.

Source: PM News