By Moyo Fabiyi

United States of America-based journalist and newspaper columnist, Prof. Okey Ndibe, says he has been detained five times recently because the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua administration had declared him ‘enemy of the state’.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS Monday, Ndibe said he was detained for 10 hours at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport when he returned to the country on Saturday.

A regular columnist with Nigeria-based The Sun newspapers, Ndibe said when he was first detained at the airport on his return to Nigeria in January 2011, security operatives told him that the Yar’Adua administration had included his name in the list of ‘enemies of the state’ based on his newspaper column that was critical of government policies or activities.

He said: “that time I was informed the Yar’Adua administration put my name in the list of ‘enemies of the state’ but President Goodluck Jonathan has instructed the SSS to remove my name from the list.”

The university teacher said he doubted if his name has been removed from the list because Saturday was the fifth time he was arrested at the airport on his return to or while travelling out of the country.

He explained that when in 2011 he was detained and his US and Nigerian passports were seized, they told him it was a mistake that his name had been removed from the list. But since then, each time he returned to Nigeria or was leaving, SSS would arrest and detain him, with his Saturday ordeal being the fifth time.

He said at a time on Saturday, he was kept alone in a room and when he phoned his wife to inform her he had been arrested and detained, a security operative seized his phone.

But while he was upset and protested the treatment meted out to him, another officer calmed him down, apologised and returned his phone to him.

P.M.NEWS gathered that when the SSS boss at the airport arrived his office at about 9.15 a.m. on Sunday, he got in touch with his boss in Abuja who ordered that he should be released.

“Thereafter, I was released. The officer said it was a mistake that will not happen again,” he said.

Ndibe travelled to the U.S. in 1988 to become the founding editor of African Commentary magazine.

His childhood memoir of the Nigerian civil war entitled My Biafran Eyes published in 2008 was an award winning piece.

Presently, he teaches at the Trinity College, Connecticut, USA and Brown University, Rhodes Island.


http://saharareporters.com/news-page/sss-declares-okey-ndibe-enemy-state-pm-news-lagos

These stories and headlines that differs so much from the body. God save us from these journalists and senseless NL re postings.

2Legit2Qui: These stories and headlines that differs so much from the body. God save us from these journalists and senseless NL re postings.

What are you smoking?

ok

Thank God are not been kidnapped.

My guy thank God say u get mouth, nai even make them release u, if na common man,e for still dey rest for cell by now, u tink say nigeria na usa abi, any way no vex na mistake, I promise we no go do am again

I guess this happens to most frequent travellers. The sss has taken me to their island office right from my seat at the airport. They left me around 4.30pm by then, I have missed my flight which was around 9.am.

I too have been detained on several occasion at the airport, does that make me an enemy of the state too?

timpaker: I too have been detained on several occasion at the airport, does that make me an enemy of the state too?

No u're not, u are an enemy of the WARD in a LGC

Okija_juju: ok

yardua declerd a journalist an enemy of d state becos of hs column nd d same yardua relasd muhamd nur d terorist dat blew up d un buldng wen he ws arest in 2009 4 ploting teror i belev u guys kan se d genesis our problms,sentiment

ukaifycos: Thank God are not been kidnapped.

4 those dat kan read pls explan 2d educatd iliterates dat hate gej 4 no jst couse wer d subject statd dat d presidnt hs orderd 4 hs name 2 be removd frm d list nd yet ws dis obeyd by sm recarcetrant secret officers dis explans dat wic is hapng witn d inteligence comunity nd yet sm tods wil cm here nd blame gej 4 everytn dat goes wrong

Why sensationalise this news when GEJ has effected a change to it? Though we've also had pocket of arrests and detention of journalists by the SSS with GEJ in power. Guess every government is never comfortable with criticism hence the Pro-GEJ's on this forum tries to silence those who critique the government.

batstan: No u're not, u are an enemy of the WARD in a LGC

LMAO

ukaifycos: Thank God are not been kidnapped.

hahaha, i just hope he doesn't go eastwards as it may turn to 'adultnapping'

This showns how weak, and mumu gej is? Imagine a proper president given an order and sss or who eva refusing to oblige, how imcompetent do these ppl feel gej is? They hav no fear of him at all, and so they dont respect or respond to his orders, na'owoo for 9ja for having a mumu scared chicken selected as our president,god save us'o

The top SSS officials got the message that Ndibe is not an enemy of the state. However, bureaucracy hasn't allowed this message filter down to the rest of the SSS officials.

God bless you Mr Okey...one day a fire will be kindled by this struggle brave conscious men like you are sacrificing for.
Consciousness is a burden for those that carry it...may we all realise and be aware.