The International Press Centre (IPC), has condemned the persistent harassment of its executive director, Lanre Arogundade, by the State Security Service (SSS).
In a statement by IPC’s press freedom officer, Melody Akinjiyan, on Tuesday, the centre expressed its displeasure over the incessant abuse of power and violation of Mr Arogundade’s human rights.
Ms Akinjiyan noted that on 11 April, officials of the SSS accosted Mr Arogundade at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, Nigeria.
“The incident of Thursday April 11, while Mr. Arogundade prepared to board a late-night Air France Flight to Berlin, Germany to participate in the respective general meetings and conferences of the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) would be the umpteenth of such unwelcome development.
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“Arogundade is a renowned journalist, advocate for social justice and democracy, former Chairman of the Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists and former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students. We believe these roles and positions should not warrant his unending torment by the DSS,” the statement read.
Recounting the encounter with the security operatives, Mr Arogundade, in a Facebook post on Monday, said, “I was harassed by DSS officials for about 40 minutes because they claimed my name was still flashing on their watchlist despite the declaration two years ago by the Director General of the State Security Service, Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi, that my name had been removed when he met a delegation of the Nigerian chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI) led by Musikilu Mojeed.”
Mr Arogundade additionally informed IPC management that the senior SSS official to whom he was referred threatened to bar him from traveling unless he produced his old passports, describing the request as “bizarre and ridiculous.”
IPC maintained that the persistent harassment by the secret police violates Mr Arogundade’s right to freedom of movement while undermining basic democratic principles.
It called on the Director General of the SSS, and in particular officers at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to desist from further harassing Mr Arogundade.
In 2022, the journalist was held for two hours after returning from The Gambia where he had gone to conduct a training programme on ‘Conflict Sensitive Journalism.’ at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
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