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Professor Okey Ndibe, a Nigerian-born novelist, journalist, and academic based in the United States, was reportedly arrested and detained for several hours by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) shortly after arriving at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Monday, June 1, 2026.
According to a close associate, former Anambra State Commissioner for Information, C. Don Adinuba, Ndibe’s detention sparked concern given his long-standing public profile as a writer and commentator.
Adinuba alleged that the arrest was not an isolated incident, claiming that similar experiences had occurred in previous years following Ndibe’s critical writings on political leadership in Nigeria.
He stated that Ndibe has in recent years focused more on book writing and teaching at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and had not actively contributed to Nigerian media platforms over the last two years.
Adinuba further alleged that on previous occasions, airport DSS officials released Ndibe after communicating with superiors in Abuja and that apologies were later issued over what he described as wrongful detention.
He criticised what he called a failure to update internal records, saying such lapses could lead to repeated inconvenience for travellers.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official public statement from the DSS confirming the circumstances surrounding the reported detention or providing details of any investigation.
