Members of Nigeria’s State Security Service, the Department of State Service (DSS) have released journalist, Chido Onumah, just hours after his arrest, the Vanguard has reported.
The news of the arrest of Onumah by men of the DSS on Sunday unsettled the media space and Vanguard has now confirmed the real reason the author of the book, We Are All Biafrans was arrested and released after hours.
And the story goes like this: Upon arrival at Abuja airport 4pm on Sunday, Onumah spent sometime 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 was the titled 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 either of them after leaving.
According to source, 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 daily, he was allowed to take his leave,” the source said.
