DSS detains of journalist Zainab Sodiq over alleged drone permit violation

The Department of State Services (DSS) has confirmed the detention of journalist Zainab Sodiq, saying she is being investigated for allegedly operating a drone without the required authorisation.

The confirmation followed accusations by African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore and the Take It Back Movement, who alleged that the journalist was being unlawfully detained and demanded her immediate release.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the DSS said Sodiq was intercepted by officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Aviation Security and DSS operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on July 6 while travelling to Abuja with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

According to the agency, Sodiq was unable to produce the required End User Certificate, which is mandated under existing regulations governing the acquisition and operation of drones in Nigeria.

> “The Department of State Services confirms the detention of one Zainab Sodiq at its National Headquarters, Abuja. The subject was intercepted by FAAN AVSEC and operatives of the DSS at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on July 6, 2026, with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle en route to Abuja without an End User Certificate,” the statement read.

The DSS said Sodiq admitted she did not possess the required documentation when questioned.

The agency added that she was nevertheless allowed to board her flight to Abuja because she had a prior engagement and was directed to report to the DSS headquarters on Wednesday for the continuation of investigations.

According to the service, the investigation is being conducted in line with regulations issued by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which empower the DSS to impound drones and sanction individuals or organisations operating them without proper authorisation.

> “Service investigation has commenced. This action is necessitated by global and domestic security concerns associated with the operation of drones, especially issues of privacy breaches and the safety of individuals,” the DSS stated.

The agency also reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism and adherence to the rule of law.

However, Sowore rejected the DSS’s explanation, insisting that the journalist was targeted because of her association with him rather than the drone.

In a statement shared on Thursday, the activist said the DJI Mavic Air drone cited by the DSS belongs to him and has been used for media coverage of elections and other public events.

> “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 alleged that the seizure of the drone was merely a pretext, claiming the real objective was to prevent Sodiq from delivering his international passport to Abuja so he could perfect the bail recently granted to him by a Federal High Court.

According to him, the journalist was carrying his passport because it was required to be deposited in court as part of the bail conditions imposed by Justice M.G. Umar.

> “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.

Sowore further claimed that after the drone was seized, he instructed Sodiq to leave it with DSS operatives and proceed to Abuja because of the urgency of delivering the passport.

He alleged that Sodiq later honoured an invitation to the DSS office in Abuja regarding the seized drone but was taken into custody immediately upon arrival.

According to him, lawyers acting on his behalf contacted the Director-General of the DSS, Tosin Ajayi, who initially described the matter as a routine screening related to the drone.

Sowore claimed the situation changed after he publicised Sodiq’s detention 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 lured to Abuja under the pretext of retrieving her seized drone equipment before being detained.

The movement argued that the journalist was carrying out her professional duties and should not face harassment 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 stated.

It insisted that journalism and political reporting should not be criminalised 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 called on the DSS to immediately release Sodiq or, if she has committed any offence, charge her before a court of competent jurisdiction.