By Chibuike Nwabuko
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – Human rights lawyer and public affairs analyst, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu has faulted the explanation offered by the Department of State Services (DSS) regarding the temporary interception of Professor Okey Ndibe at the airport, arguing that the agency’s admission raises deeper concerns about its priorities and institutional practices.
Reacting against the backdrop of statement issued by the DSS on Tuesday, Odinkalu acknowledged the agency’s clarification but maintained that it had effectively admitted to restricting Ndibe’s freedom of movement upon his arrival at the airport.
According to him, the length of time the academic was held was less important than the fact that he was unable to move freely while under DSS control.
Precise Post recalls that the DSS had explained that it was reviewing old Watch-List Actions (WLAs), some of which dated back several years, as part of an ongoing effort to clean up its records.
However, Odinkalu questioned the rationale behind maintaining a watchlist entry against Ndibe, noting that the security agency itself acknowledged that the listing originated in 2013.
He pointed out that 2013 came more than a decade after Nigeria’s return to democratic rule and described Ndibe at the time as a respected professor, writer and columnist whose work had consistently focused on improving the country.
Odinkalu further argued that the period when Ndibe was placed on the watchlist coincided with the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency, which posed a far greater threat to national security.
He recalled that major government committees, including those led by Tanimu Turaki and Gaji Galtimari, had submitted reports on addressing insecurity in Northern Nigeria around the same period.
According to him, the decision to monitor a prominent intellectual rather than concentrate resources on combating terrorism reflected misplaced priorities within the security establishment.
The former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission said the DSS needed more than what it described as “watchlist hygiene,” insisting that broader reforms were required. He urged the agency to undertake what he called “institutional hygiene” to address systemic shortcomings and strengthen public confidence in its operations.
The DSS had earlier denied arresting or detaining Ndibe, stating that any watchlist-related action concerning the professor had been reviewed and resolved in line with ongoing internal reforms.
