Nigeria: DSS accused of planning to arraign journalist Zainab Sodiq over ‘unknown offence’

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Nigeria

 Human rights activist and African Action Congress presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has alleged that the Department of State Services, DSS, is preparing to arraign journalist Zainab Sodiq in court over what he described as an “unknown offence.”

Sowore made the claim on Thursday, accusing DSS Director-General Tosin Ajayi of acting out of personal vendetta following public criticism of the agency’s handling of Sodiq’s detention.

According to Sowore, the journalist has been held by the DSS without any clear charge being disclosed to her lawyers, family, or the public

“We have been informed that the lawless DSS DG, Tosin Ajayi, now plans to charge journalist Zainab Sodiq to court for an unknown offence,” Sowore said.

He argued that the continued detention was not based on law but on the agency’s reaction to scrutiny. 

“Her continued detention is essentially about the bruised ego of the DSS DG, who became angry after I exposed the DSS’s abuses and illegal detention of Zainab,” he stated.

Sowore has been one of the most vocal critics of Sodiq’s arrest, describing it as unlawful and demanding her immediate and unconditional release. He said journalists should not be targeted for reporting on public officials and matters of public interest.

As of Thursday, the DSS had not released an official statement listing the specific allegations against Sodiq, nor had it confirmed a court date.

He recounted that following his release from Kuje Correctional Centre after nine days in custody, the DSS prosecutor handling his case, A.T. Kehinde, SAN, tried to have him sent back by claiming he had not met his bail conditions.

“When the Bail Unit confirmed that I had met the conditions, he still refused to certify my sureties as requested by the judge,” Sowore said.

He said the prosecutor’s application was unsuccessful.

“When that scheme failed, the DSS arrested Zainab Sodiq, the journalist covering my activities,” he alleged.

Sowore also accused the DSS DG of orchestrating an attack on him at the Federal High Court last week. 

“The DG of the lawless DSS, Tosin Ajayi, sent his goons to attack me at the Federal High Court last week. When it backfired, he turned around to claim he was ‘investigating’ the same attack,” he said.

Sowore further claimed he had received information that “a deal had already been struck” to ensure his imprisonment, regardless of the evidence in his case.

Zainab Sodiq is a journalist who has covered court proceedings and activism related to Sowore and other civil rights cases. Colleagues describe her as an independent reporter focused on governance, human rights, and judicial accountability.

Her arrest has drawn attention from press freedom groups, who argue that detaining journalists without disclosing charges undermines both the rule of law and freedom of the press.

*Pattern of allegations against the DSS*

Sowore’s allegations add to a long-running dispute between him and the DSS. Since 2019, he has faced multiple arrests and prosecutions that he says are politically motivated. The DSS has previously denied targeting him and has insisted that its actions are within the law.

The DSS has not publicly responded to the specific allegations made on Friday 

Press freedom advocates say the case is important beyond Sodiq herself. If journalists can be detained for covering activists or government critics, they argue, it creates a chilling effect on reporting.

“The job of the press is to hold power to account,” one media rights lawyer noted. “When that job leads to detention, democracy suffers.”

Sowore is demanding that the DSS either charge Sodiq with a specific, bailable offence in open court or release her immediately. He also called on the National Assembly, the Nigerian Bar Association, and civil society groups to intervene.

“Secret trials and secret charges have no place in a democracy,” he said. “If the DSS has evidence, let them present it. If not, let her go.”

He urged journalists and citizens to keep attention on the case, arguing that public scrutiny is the only check on abuse of power.

Until then, the case is likely to remain a flashpoint in the broader debate about security, free speech, and the limits of state power in Nigeria.

For Sowore, the arrest of Sodiq is personal and political. For press freedom groups, it is a test of whether journalism can be done in Nigeria without fear of reprisal.

The DSS is yet to announce a date for arraignment or to make public the details of the alleged offence.