What NIS Officers Asked Me During My Detention — Sowore Exposes Nigerian Govt
Activist Omoyele Sowore has revealed that Nigerian immigration officers asked if he had a waiver to watchlist prepared by Nigerian security agencies, prompting him to question the purpose of such a waiver.
Sowore shared his experience at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Sunday morning, where immigration officers inquired about his presence on the country’s watchlist.
According to Sowore, the officers asked if he had obtained a waiver, sparking his curiosity about the purpose and implications of such a document.
Sowore’s revelation during an interview on Arise TV raises questions about the transparency and accountability of Nigeria’s watchlist system.
Sowore was briefly detained at the Lagos airport on Sunday on his arrival in Nigeria from the US, where he had been with his family.
Narrating what transpired between him and the immigration officers, Sowore said he was only detained for about 10 minutes.
He said one of his bags went missing during the ordeal.
He said: “I tweeted while I was waiting in their office, that I am now in detention and they have seized my passport. And they said, ‘oh we are looking if you have a waiver for the watchlist’ and I said what is waiver for the watchlist.
“And another 10 minutes later, they came and said we have resolved the issue, you can go. You can have your passport back now.
“Some of them nicely escorted me to get my bags, but by the time I got to the bag section, one of my bags had gone missing. We are still looking for the bag as we speak. The biggest bag I brought in disappeared.
“I am just hoping they are not trying to play funny with the bag. I have reported that to the airline.”
Sowore had earlier declared that he would never flee Nigeria despite being on the watchlist of the secret police, Department of State Services (DSS).
Sowore stated that he is not afraid of being targeted by the government and will continue to exercise his right to free movement in and out of Nigeria
He criticised President Bola Tinubu for doing to protesters what was done to him in 1994 by a military regime and urged his fellow co-patriots to continue to fight for the liberation of Nigeria from the shackles of bad leadership.
What Transpired Between Me and the @NigImmigration today during a brief encounter that led to the ‘seizure’ of my Intl Passport and detention at the Murtala Muhammad International Airport in Lagos. #FearlessInOctober
