The Federal Government has denied generating a ‘no-fly’ list of youths and persons who participated in the recent #EndSARS protests against police brutality.
The Federal Ministry of Interior made this known in a tweet on Tuesday in reaction to a media report by an online publication.
The publication alleged that the Nigerian authorities have started collating a no-fly list of Nigerians that energised the #EndSARS protest last month.
Reacting, @MinOfInteriorNG wrote, “The Ministry of Interior did not, has not and will not generate any no-fly list. Ignore fake news, please!”
One of the promoters of the protests, Modupe Odele was prevented from leaving the country on Monday due to an alleged no fly order from the federal government, She also confirmed the development in a newsletter sent out on Monday.
The lawyer said she was on her way to the Maldives to celebrate her birthday when she was accosted by immigration officers.
Odele said she was detained while her passport was seized by the officers and she was made to miss her flight.
The revelation sparked outrage on Twitter with thousands calling on the authorities to stop harassing Odele.
A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, said she has written the National Security Adviser, Babagana Mungono, over the matter.
Ezekwesili tweeted, “Today, I have written to Babagana Mungono, the National Security Adviser of @MBuhari @NGRPresident to immediately retrieve Modupe Odele’s passport from the SSS and publicly apologise for trampling on her freedoms. Maybe they’ll be wise this time. We’ll wait and see.”