Journalist Zainab Sodiq has regained freedom after spending several days in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), following a detention that drew widespread criticism from civil society organisations, press freedom advocates and rights groups.

Her release was announced on Friday by activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who attributed the development to sustained public pressure from Nigerians, lawyers, journalists and human rights organisations demanding her freedom.

In a post on Facebook, Sowore thanked human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), President of the International Press Institute (IPI) Nigeria, Musikilu Mojeed, lawyer Deji Adeyanju, Amnesty International Nigeria, members of the Take It Back Movement, journalists and other Nigerians for their roles in securing Sodiq’s release.

The development comes a day after the DSS defended her detention, stating that she was being investigated for allegedly transporting a drone without the required End User Certificate (EUC), a security clearance issued under regulations administered by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) for certain categories of unmanned aerial vehicles.

According to the agency, Sodiq was intercepted on July 6 by officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and DSS operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, while travelling to Abuja with the drone.

The DSS said she admitted she did not possess the required documentation and was subsequently directed to report for further investigation.

However, Sowore disputed the agency’s account, insisting that the drone belonged to him and alleging that Sodiq was targeted because she works with him as a journalist covering his activities.

He further claimed that she was travelling with his international passport, which he needed to submit in court as part of the bail conditions in his ongoing cybercrime and criminal defamation case.

According to Sowore, the interception and detention were aimed at frustrating the perfection of his bail, an allegation the DSS has not publicly addressed.

Sowore is currently facing trial over allegations of cyberbullying President Bola Tinubu after referring to him as a criminal in social media posts made last year. He has denied the allegations.

After his earlier bail was revoked for failing to appear in court, Sowore was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre before being granted fresh bail on June 30 under stricter conditions, including the surrender of his international passport.

As of the time of filing this report, the DSS had not issued any statement explaining Sodiq’s release or indicating whether its investigation into the alleged violation of drone regulations had been concluded.

Efforts to obtain comments from the DSS spokesperson, Favour Dozie, were unsuccessful, as she had not responded to enquiries before publication.