* Agency releases IPI boss
A legal luminary and human rights activist, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) has raised the alarm over the arrest of the Executive Director of the International Press Institute (IPI) in Lagos and former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, by officials of the Department of State Services (DSS).
In a statement made available to the Theideal on Thursday and titled, ‘Demand For Unconditional Release Of Lanre Arogundade From Illegal Custody Of State Security Service,’ Falana is therefore asking the DSS to unconditionally release Arogundade from its custody.
The statement reads in part “We have confirmed that Arogundade’s name is not on the Watch List. Hence, he was not prevented from travelling out of Nigeria. We have equally confirmed that he did not commit any offence in The Gambia to warrant his arrest and detention by security agencies in Nigeria.
“In fact, Mr. Arogundade conducted himself as a law-abiding citizen of Nigeria throughout his stay in The Gambia. Even though the DSS said that Arogundade has no right to enter Nigeria, he has not been sent back to the Gambia or any other country that might have been adopted for him. Since the harassment of Arogundade cannot be justified, we are compelled to demand his immediate and unconditional release from the illegal custody of the DSS.”
Meanwhile, the DSS has released Arogundade while the service claimed that it did not arrest the journalist.
The development came just as Arogundade stated in his Facebook that after about 40 minutes, his passport has been released by the DSS.
He wrote: “To all…thanks. My passport has been returned by the DSS and I’m now just leaving the airport despite arriving since 3:30pm. I will update further.”
Arogundade was arrested during his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos on Thursday.
Writing on his Facebook post, Arogundade wrote: “This is me at the DSS office at International Airport Lagos where I’m being held or detained against my wish. I have just returned from Banjul where I went to train Gambian journalists on Conflict sensitive journalism. Ever since the days of military rule, I get molested by DSS and Immigration at the airport. This nonsense has to stop!”
