By Luminous Jannamike
Fresh details emerged on Monday night over the airport encounter between the Department of State Services, DSS, and Prof. Okey Ndibe, with a source familiar with the matter dismissing reports that the renowned writer was arrested or detained and insisting that he left the airport less than 30 minutes after a routine security engagement.
The account challenges earlier claims that Ndibe was detained by the DSS, indicating instead that the encounter was linked to an existing watch-list record and formed part of an ongoing review process within the agency.
Sources familiar with the development said Ndibe arrived in Nigeria from the United States at about 11:30 a.m. on Monday and was briefly questioned by security officials as part of standard border-control procedures.
The source said: “Upon arrival from the United States, today June 1, at 11.30am, he was routinely questioned in line with international best practices at the border control.
“Prof Ndibe, according to the source, departed the airport barely 30 minutes after procedural engagement.
“The DSS action, according to the source, stems from a Watch-List Action (WLA), which was initiated on him in 2013 during President Jonathan’s administration but has recently been downgraded by the present DG DSS.”
It was further gathered that the current DSS leadership had directed a review of longstanding watch-list records, with part of the process involving engagement with affected individuals as a step towards their eventual removal from the list.
