By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied reports that the Service arrested or detained renowned author and academic, Prof. Okey Ndibe, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on June 1, 2026, describing the interaction with him as part of an ongoing review of longstanding watchlist actions.
In a statement issued on Tuesday on the official X handle of @OfficialDSSNG signed by the Deputy Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications, Favour Dozie, the Service said Prof. Ndibe was neither arrested nor detained at the airport or anywhere else on the stated date.
The DSS explained that the current Director-General, upon assuming office, ordered a comprehensive review of old Watch-List Actions (WLAs), some of which date back to the military era, to prevent citizens from suffering undue embarrassment due to outdated security records.
According to the Service, individuals previously placed on watchlists are routinely engaged during transit as part of a process aimed at reviewing and possibly downgrading such listings before their eventual removal in line with international best practices.
The agency noted that the review process involves assessing the activities, travel histories and current engagements of affected individuals to determine whether the circumstances that led to their original watchlisting still exist.
The DSS disclosed that Prof. Ndibe had been on its watchlist since January 29, 2013, but that his case had since been reviewed and downgraded. It added that the airport interaction was intended to facilitate the final removal of his details from the watchlist.
The Service stated that after a routine engagement lasting less than an hour, Prof. Ndibe was cleared and escorted, stressing that he himself acknowledged the professionalism, courtesy and decorum displayed by DSS operatives in a social media post.
The statement further revealed that several Nigerians, including journalists, have benefited from the ongoing review exercise. It cited the case of Mr. Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), whose name was removed from the watchlist in May 2025 after more than a decade.
Reaffirming its commitment to the rule of law and respect for human rights, the DSS said the watchlist review initiative would continue to ensure fairness and compliance with legal provisions.
The agency also encouraged individuals who believe they may be affected by existing watchlist actions to formally contact its National Headquarters to facilitate the review process, while assuring that efforts to sanitize and update the watchlist system would be sustained.
