The Department of State Services (DSS) has distanced itself from the arrest of African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Omoyele Sowore, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Sunday. Sowore was briefly detained by Nigerian Immigration officials but later released.
A DSS source clarified that while Sowore had previously been on the agency’s watchlist, his name was removed, and there was no reason for the DSS to arrest him. The source criticized media outlets for misreporting the arrest, stating, “We have nothing to do with Sowore’s arrest. He used to be on our watchlist, but he no longer is.”
Sowore had earlier reported the incident on social media, stating that his passport was seized upon his arrival from the U.S., and that Immigration officers had informed him of orders to detain him. However, he later confirmed his release by the Nigerian Immigration Service and the return of his passport. Sowore emphasized that the DSS was not involved in the arrest, as some reports had suggested.
