The crackdown on dissent and opposition by the government of president Muhammadu Buhari continued on Sunday as the Department of State Service (DSS) arrested Nigerian activist and author, Chido Onumah.
Mr Onumah was arrested at the Abuja airport on Sunday evening, a lawyer, Mbaseki Martins-Obono, confirmed in a tweet.
According to him, the government was doing everything to shrink civic space.
The lawyer said, “Chido Onumah has just been arrested by the DSS at Abuja International Airport.
“It is not clear what the offense is but it may not be unconnected with his book, ‘We Are All Biafrians’.
“The government is doing everything to shrink civic space but we will not let them.
“I was called by the person who was supposed to pick him up at the airport.”
M. M. Obono@martobonoChido Onumah has just been arrested by the SSS at Abuja International Airport. It is not clear what the offense is but it may not be unconnected with his book, #WeAreAllBiafrians the govt is doing everything to shrink civic space but we not let them.
It is understood that, the journalist, who is critical of the Buhari government, returned to Nigeria from Spain where he recently bagged a doctorate in communication studies.
He arrived via a Lufthansa airline and was waiting for his luggage at about 5:00 p.m. when DSS officials accosted him, the associate who was at the airport to receive Mr Onumah told the newspaper.
Mr Onumah was reportedly taken to the DSS headquarters in Abuja at about at about 5:00 p.m.
He is the author of We Are All Biafrans, a regular columnist and member of the editorial board member of Premium Times.
Onumah is also an advocate for the restructuring of the Nigerian federation.
The DSS is yet to give any reason for his arrest.
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