ABUJA, Nigeria — The Department of State Services (DSS) has denied reports that it arrested or detained Professor Okey Ndibe at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, stating that the academic was only engaged as part of an ongoing review of legacy watchlist records.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the DSS said Ndibe was not arrested on June 1, 2026, or at any other location on that date. The agency explained that its current leadership had initiated a review of longstanding Watch-List Actions (WLAs), some dating back to the military era, to prevent citizens from being unnecessarily inconvenienced during travel.
Okay News reports that the DSS said individuals previously placed on watchlists are routinely invited for interaction as part of a process aimed at reviewing, downgrading and eventually removing their names from the database where appropriate.
According to the agency, the review process is designed to determine whether the reasons that led to an individual’s inclusion on a watchlist remain valid before a final delisting decision is made. The DSS noted that several Nigerians, including journalists, have already benefited from the exercise.
The Service cited the case of Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre, whose name was removed from the watchlist in May 2025 after spending more than a decade on the register.
The DSS disclosed that Ndibe had been on its watchlist since January 29, 2013, but said his case had since been reviewed and downgraded. It explained that the interaction with him at the airport was intended to facilitate the final stage of his delisting process.
The agency stated that the engagement lasted less than an hour, after which Ndibe was cleared and escorted. It also noted that the professor had acknowledged the professionalism and courteous conduct of DSS operatives in a social media post following the encounter.
Reaffirming its commitment to the rule of law and respect for citizens’ rights, the DSS said the review of watchlist records would continue and encouraged affected individuals to formally contact its headquarters if they wished to expedite the process.
