Department of State Services (DSS) has released novelist and journalist Okey Ndibe after detaining him at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday.
Mr Ndibe, who is based in the United States, was stopped by DSS operatives shortly after arriving in Nigeria and held for several hours.
Senior lawyer Abdul Mahmud confirmed the detention and criticised the action.
“The arrest of the US-based Nigerian novelist, Professor Okey Ndibe, is uncalled for, unjustifiable and reckless,” Mahmud said, calling on the DSS to release him.
The DSS later released Ndibe after reportedly stating that the officer handling his case file was out of the country.
Human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, also condemned the detention.
In a post on Monday, Mr Sowore said DSS operatives questioned Ndibe about his movements and the people he planned to visit in Nigeria.
According to him, the agency initially described the writer’s arrival as “suspicious” before later informing him that the officer in charge of his file was unavailable.
Sowore said the incident reflected what he described as a shrinking civic space and increasing pressure on critics of government.
The detention was also confirmed by former Anambra State commissioner for information and public enlightenment, C. Don Adinuba.
Mr Adinuba said Ndibe’s detention upon arrival in Nigeria had occurred on several occasions in the past because of his critical commentaries on public affairs.
He expressed surprise over the latest incident, noting that Ndibe had focused mainly on teaching and book writing in recent years.
According to Adinuba, the DSS had previously apologised to the writer after similar detentions and released him once airport officials contacted their superiors in Abuja.
In a text message shared with associates while being held, Ndibe said, “I’ve been with the SSS now for more than an hour. They’re waiting for clearance from some oga before they let me go.”
Journalist and poet Maxim Uzoatu also criticised the detention, saying it disrupted Ndibe’s planned activities in Nigeria.
Ndibe, a professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, has previously been detained by security agents in 2011, 2013 and 2017.
On those occasions, authorities reportedly cited his presence on a security watchlist.
As of the time of reporting, the DSS had not issued an official statement explaining Monday’s detention.
