Investigative journalist Zainab Sodiq who works directly for Human Right Activist, Omoyele Sowore has instituted a fundamental rights enforcement suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking ₦4 billion in damages over her alleged unlawful arrest, detention and continued seizure of her phones and drone by the Department of State Services (DSS).
The suit, filed against the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Director-General of the DSS, the DSS, and a DSS operative, Abdulwahab Habib, challenges what the applicant describes as violations of her constitutional rights.
According to the court documents, Sodiq who is a Sahara Reporters journalist, was travelling from Lagos to Abuja when aviation security officials intercepted her over her possession of a DJI Mavic Air 2 drone and handed her over to a DSS officer identified as Ifeanyi. After confiscating the drone, the officer allegedly informed her that it required an End User Certificate and directed her to retrieve it from another DSS officer, Musa, in Abuja.
The applicant stated that upon arriving at the DSS office in Abuja on July 8, 2026, to collect the drone, she was allegedly arrested at gunpoint, while her belongings were retrieved from the cab waiting outside and taken into DSS custody. She claimed she was subsequently detained at the DSS National Headquarters until July 10 without being charged before any court.
Sodiq alleged that she was held incommunicado, denied prompt access to her family, and interrogated over her journalistic activities before being released.
Despite her release, she contended that the DSS has continued to retain her iPhone 13 Pro, Samsung Galaxy A15, iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 16 Pro Max and DJI Mavic Air drone, which she described as essential tools for her work as an investigative journalist.
The suit argues that the respondents’ reliance on alleged “NSA Extant Regulations” requiring an End User Certificate for the drone is unconstitutional, maintaining that no Act of the National Assembly criminalises the mere possession or transportation of the commercially available device. It further contends that executive directives cannot create criminal offences in the absence of a valid law enacted by the National Assembly.
Among the reliefs sought, Sodiq is asking the court to declare that her arrest, detention and the continued seizure of her devices violated her constitutional rights to dignity, personal liberty, privacy, property, freedom of expression, press freedom and fair hearing.
She is also seeking an order directing the immediate release of all seized devices, a perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from further violating her rights, ₦2 billion in general damages, ₦2 billion in exemplary and aggravated damages, and any further orders the court may deem appropriate.
Counsel to the applicant, Peter Femi Joseph, said the case raises significant constitutional questions regarding the limits of executive power, the legality of arrests based on administrative directives, digital privacy, and the protection of press freedom. He added that the suit provides an opportunity for the court to determine whether security agencies can lawfully detain citizens and retain journalists’ equipment indefinitely without judicial authorisation or pending criminal proceedings.
Zainab works as a personal media assistant/journalist to the Human Rights Activist and 2027 Presidential candidate of the AAC, Omoyele Sowore.
