DSS Delists Lanre Arogundade from Watchlist After 40-Year Stint

The Nigerian Chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI) has announced a significant development regarding media freedom and national security accountability. Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), has been officially removed from the watchlist maintained by the Department of State Security (DSS), marking the end of a monitoring period that lasted about four decades.

Musikilu Mojeed, President of IPI in Nigeria, revealed the news on Tuesday during the 3rd Nigerian Media Leaders’ Summit convened by Journalism Clinic in Ogun State. Mojeed explained that this remarkable change came as a result of a sustained and intensive campaign led by IPI Nigeria, with concerted efforts urging the DSS to re-examine its criteria for watchlisting individuals.

“The delisting marks a significant step forward in the recognition of academic and professional contributions to Nigerian civil society,” Mojeed stated. “IPI Nigeria commends the DSS for finally removing Arogundade’s name from the watchlist.”

According to Mojeed, the decisive communication from the DSS was delivered by Director-General Adeola Ajayi during a recent engagement with IPI Nigeria. Details from the session indicated that Arogundade’s name had been on the DSS records for nearly 40 years—a period that dates back to his time as the President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) between 1984 and 1985 during the Muhammadu Buhari-led military regime.

The case had been a subject of public interest and debate, with calls for Arogundade’s name to be withdrawn from the security service’s watchlist preceding the final decision. Earlier reports in 2022 noted that his name had already been delisted; however, shortly after, Arogundade experienced a brief detention at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on February 10 of that same year, highlighting lingering sensitivities around his security status.

The removal of Arogundade’s name from the DSS watchlist not only marks a personal vindication for a veteran media practitioner but also reflects broader shifts in Nigeria’s approach to monitoring individuals associated with political or social activism. The move is seen as an acknowledgment of his longstanding contributions to the media and academic community, and a broader step towards redefining state surveillance practices.

As the Nigerian media landscape continues to evolve, the decision is expected to encourage open dialogue on the balance between security measures and the protection of individual rights, particularly for those who have long served as catalysts for change.