Photo : Okey Ndibe
By: Ndidi Adams
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has condemned the reported detention of renowned Nigerian novelist and author, Okey Ndibe, by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) upon his arrival in Nigeria from the United States.
In a statement issued on Monday, SERAP described the incident as an arbitrary detention and a violation of fundamental human rights, despite reports that the author was later released.
According to available reports, Ndibe was detained by DSS operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos shortly after arriving from the United States. He was reportedly released after officials informed him that the officer handling his case file was out of the country.
Reacting to the development, SERAP said Ndibe should never have been detained in the first place for what it described as the peaceful exercise of his constitutionally guaranteed rights.
The rights group argued that the incident reflects what it called an escalating pattern of intimidation and harassment of critics, activists, journalists, writers and civil society actors by security agencies under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Detaining writers, journalists, activists or other critics solely for peacefully exercising their human rights is unlawful and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations,” SERAP said.
The organisation maintained that no individual should face harassment, intimidation or detention because of their opinions, writings or peaceful criticism of those in authority.
SERAP called on the Federal Government to immediately disclose the legal basis for Ndibe’s detention and provide a full explanation of the circumstances surrounding the incident. It also urged authorities to ensure that the DSS and other security agencies do not misuse their powers to target individuals exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
The group further demanded that Ndibe be granted access to justice and effective remedies if his rights were violated.
Citing Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution, SERAP noted that freedom of expression is a protected right in Nigeria. It also referenced Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which guarantee freedom of expression, including opinions that may challenge or criticize public authorities.
The organisation also pointed to constitutional and international safeguards against arbitrary detention, including Section 35 of the Constitution, Article 9 of the ICCPR, and Articles 6 and 7 of the African Charter.
SERAP urged the Tinubu administration to end what it described as the harassment and intimidation of writers, journalists, activists and peaceful critics, stressing the need for accountability and guarantees against future violations.
The group also called on international human rights bodies, including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to publicly condemn the detention and send a strong message against the suppression of fundamental freedoms in Nigeria.
As of the time of filing this report, the DSS had not publicly provided detailed reasons for Ndibe’s detention. The incident has sparked concerns among civil society groups and human rights advocates over the state of civil liberties and freedom of expression in the country.
