The Nigerian Chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI), on Tuesday, announced the removal of the name of the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, from the Department of State Security’s (DSS) watchlist after almost forty years.
Naija News reports that this development comes after a sustained campaign by IPI Nigeria to have Arogundade’s name cleared.
IPI Nigeria President, Musikilu Mojeed, made the announcement at the 3rd Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit in Abeokuta, Ogun State, an event organised by Journalism Clinic and attended by media owners, editors, and veteran journalists, including Taiwo Obe.
Mojeed revealed that the Director-General of the DSS, Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, personally informed IPI Nigeria about the removal during a recent meeting with the service.
According to a statement released by IPI Nigeria’s Legal Adviser and Chairman of the Advocacy Committee, Tobi Soniyi, the removal followed years of intense advocacy by IPI Nigeria.
Arogundade had been on the watchlist for nearly four decades, subjected to continuous harassment, which included being briefly detained by security operatives at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
IPI Nigeria had been campaigning for his removal from the watchlist for years, a task that became urgent after previous assurances to clear his name had not been fulfilled.
The organisation expressed relief and satisfaction with the DSS’s decision and commended the service for finally taking action.
At the summit, media executives applauded the announcement, and Arogundade, who was present at the event, expressed his gratitude on behalf of his family and himself.
Arogundade’s inclusion on the DSS watchlist traces back to his time as President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) from 1984 to 1985 during Nigeria’s military regime.
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