Operatives of the Department of State Services have freed an Ogun State-based pastor, Kayode Olawoye, alongside two of his associates who were detained on Monday following public outcry.
Olawoye became an internet sensation following his exposé on the poor state of some roads in Ogun State, which he had repeatedly drawn to the attention of the state government.
A family source close to Olawoye confirmed his release in a telephone conversation with PUNCH Metro on Tuesday.
In an earlier interview with our correspondent, Olawoye’s family had raised concerns over his detention after he was allegedly invited by the DSS.
Speaking with our correspondent earlier on Tuesday, Olawoye’s wife, Shola Olawoye, said her husband received a phone call from the DSS on Sunday evening, asking him to report to its Ogun State office by 2 p.m. on Monday, January 19, 2026.
According to her, the officials described the invitation as a “friendly interrogation visit,” assuring him that it was nothing serious.
She said Olawoye arrived at the DSS office at about 1:30 p.m. on Monday but was held without family members having access to him, adding that several efforts made to reach him proved abortive.
She also noted that two other associates, Benjamin Olaleye and Joshua, who accompanied him to the DSS office, were also detained.
“I have not been able to speak with him since he entered the office. I don’t know his condition—whether he has eaten or even taken water. The people who went with him also had their phones seized, and we have not heard from any of them,” she said.
Shola said that while she was at the DSS office to inquire about her husband’s welfare, she was told to leave and return later, with assurances that he would be released after questioning.
She added that she waited until late Monday night and into Tuesday morning without receiving any update on his status, adding that the detention may be linked to his continued advocacy for the improvement of road infrastructure across the state.
She continued, “This is a man who is fighting for grassroots governance. He is not a criminal. He is not fighting or abusing the governor. He is not anti-politics, anti-peace, or protesting. He is simply saying, ‘Our governor should fulfil his campaign promises.’ That is all he is doing, and I don’t understand when being civil became a crime in my state.
“I do not know when being civil and asking for your rights turned into a criminal offence. He has been detained as if he were a criminal. Bandits are on TikTok and everywhere, yet the DSS has not detained any of them.
But they have detained my husband since yesterday. It has been almost 24 hours now, and I have not heard anything from him. I need the help of the whole of Nigeria.”
Another family member, who did not want to be named, explained that Olawoye had been invited on two occasions in the past and had always honoured the invitations.
The family source said this was the third time Olawoye had been invited by the DSS, adding that during previous visits, he was questioned about his public commentary on the condition of roads in Ogun State.
The source alleged that DSS officials had repeatedly asked whether he was sponsored to publicise poor road infrastructure in the state, an allegation Olawoye denied, maintaining that he had no sponsor.
“The first time he was invited, I was with him at the meeting. They asked who was sponsoring him to showcase the bad roads that Governor Dapo is not fixing. He replied that nobody was sponsoring him and that he was instructed by God to speak out about the bad roads so that the governor would fix them.
“The second time, they asked him the same question again—that he should name the people sponsoring him. He told them nobody was sponsoring him,” the family member said.
The news of his detention, however, sparked public outcry, with social media users condemning the action.
Reacting to the detention, Amnesty International Nigeria, condemned Olawoye’s detention in a statement on Tuesday.
The human rights advocacy group described the detention as unlawful and abuse of human rights.
The statement read, “The Nigerian authorities must end the incessant intimidation and harassment of Pastor Kayode Olawoye — a cleric widely known for advocating for better road infrastructure in Ogun State.
“Subjecting such a peaceful advocate for good governance to bizarre intimidation by the Department Of State Services is unlawful. The advocacy of Pastor Kayode is justified given the shocking and deplorable state of roads in Ogun — his state. Criticizing Gov. Dapo Abiodun is not crime.
“The authorities have an obligation to uphold and protect fundamental human rights. Instead of investing in desperate attempts to punish activists, the government should be listening to them and doing more to addressing people’s concerns.”
In an update on Tuesday night, the family source told our correspondent that Olawoye and the two associates who were with him had been released.
The source said, “Mr Olawoye and the two associates have been released. They were freed on Tuesday night after more than 24 hours in detention.”
Meanwhile, when contacted on Tuesday, the State Director of the DSS in Ogun State, Peter Afunanya, did not respond to messages sent to his line, nor did he pick calls placed to him as of the time of filing this report.
The governor’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, asked our correspondent to call back when contacted on Tuesday.
He was, however, not reachable as of the time of filing this report.
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