The International Press Centre (IPC) has strongly condemned the recent harassment of its executive director, Lanre Arogundade, by officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos, Nigeria.
In a statement released on Tuesday, April 16, and signed by Melody Akinjiyan, the Press Freedom Officer at IPC, the organisation expressed deep concern over the incident that occurred on Thursday, April 11, 2024.
Arogundade was reportedly preparing to board a late-night Air France flight to Berlin, Germany, to attend important general meetings and conferences of the African Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) and the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX).
Arogundade, a renowned journalist and advocate for social justice and democracy, was subjected to approximately 40 minutes of harassment by DSS officials, who claimed his name was still on their watchlist despite assurances two years ago by the Director General of the DSS, Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi, that his name had been removed.
Recounting the ordeal in a Facebook post, Arogundade stated that he was threatened with travel restrictions unless he produced his old passports, a request he deemed “bizarre and ridiculous.”
IPC emphasised that such persistent harassment violates Arogundade’s right to freedom of movement and undermines basic democratic principles.
The organisation called on the Director General of the DSS, and specifically the officials at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, to cease further harassment of Arogundade immediately.
