29th September, 2019
The Department of State Services has released Chido Onumah, the journalist, political activist who was arrested at the Abuja airport on Sunday.
Onumah told P.M. NEWS that he was released about 10pm at the headquarters of the secret organisation.
He said he was interrogated over his book ‘We are all Biafrans’, which he launched three years ago and especially why he wears a T-shirt emblazoned with the title of the book.
He also said he was accused of being part of a plot to cause disaffection in the country.
The interrogation began at the airport, before he was taken to the DSS headquarters.
The activist thanked Nigerians for their concern.
Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, Programme manager of Onumah’s African centre for Media and Information Literacy(AFRICMIL) had alerted the world about Onumah’s arrest at about 5pm today.
In a statement, he expressed alarm at the arrest, saying that waylaying law-abiding citizens should not be the preoccupation of an entire security outfit.
“The African Centre for Media & Information Literacy (AFRICMIL) is alarmed over the arrest of its Coordinator, Chido Onumah, this evening, by operatives of the State Security Service (SSS).”
“Onumah was picked up at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on his return from a trip abroad.
“AFRICMIL condemns in strong terms the unjustifiable arrest of Onumah and demands his immediate and unconditional release.
“Waylaying law-abiding citizens should not be turned into the preoccupation of an entire security outfit.
“The arrest of Onumah, coming at the heels of harassment of other critical voices, smacks of grotesque days of the Nigerian history that Onumah and his comrades fought steely against,” he said.
Abdulaziz also broke news of Onumah’s release via Twitter: Dr @conumah
has been released by Nigeria’s State Security Service after he was arrested at Abuja Airport today at 5pm, upon his return from Spain”.