Why journalist Chido Onumah was arrested, released by DSS

 

BY OUR EDITOR

Officials of the Department of State Service (DSS) Sunday arrested journalist, Chido Onumah, at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

Onumah, according to VANGUARD online report, was waiting to confirm venue of a scheduled appointment when he was picked up by the DSS.

According to VANGUARD, upon arrival at Abuja airport 4pm on Sunday, Onumah spent some time clearing his luggage and was expected to have dinner with a friend.

He was waiting to confirm the venue of his appointment when a DSS official walked up to him, flashed his ID card and told him he was to be questioned in connection with a planned protest.

Onumah, who was wearing a T-shirt with the inscription, WE ARE ALL BIAFRANS, which happened to be the title of his new book, was led to the DSS office at Central Abuja. During interrogation, he was asked why he was holding a Nigerian passport and he confidently replied that “I am Nigerian.”

The DSS officials queried why he was putting on the vest with the inscription, which he answered by telling them that it was the title of his new book.

Onumah further told the DSS officials that he had more vests in his bag with the same inscription and won’t hesitate to wear any of them after leaving.

A source who spoke with VANGUARD disclosed that while at the DSS office, Onumah was reading a book while the officials ran a check on his profile.

“That was when they discovered that he was more Nigerian as anyone can be.

“They (DSS) now told him (Onumah) that there was an intel they got about some people who were trying to cause unrest and he was picked because of the inscription on his shirt.

They told him his shirt’s inscription could trigger an unrest and after much dilly-dally, he was allowed to take his leave,” the source said.