…Fisayo Soyombo thanks Nigerians
The Nigerian Army has released investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo.
According to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), this development followed an intense media campaign advocating for his release.
In a social media post on Friday, FIJ revealed that the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had detained its founder, Fisayo Soyombo, for three days.
“The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt has been detaining our founder, Fisayo Soyombo, for three days. Journalism is not a crime,” FIJ wrote.
In its response, the Nigerian Army, through the Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Danjuma, stated that Soyombo was arrested at an illegal bunkering site.
Confirming Soyombo’s release on Friday evening, FIJ in a post via X said: “We can confirm that our founder @fisayosoyombo has now been released by @HQNigerianArmy, following the intense media campaign you all mounted.
“FIJ acknowledges the Nigerian Army’s deliberate mischaracterisation to suggest an involvement in “illegal oil bunkering”. FIJ will also address this statement appropriately.
“Our immediate concern is regarding the safety of ‘Fisayo Soyombo in view of extensive information sharing with the Army on his fieldwork during the period of his detention. We are assessing the situation and hoping that his safety will not be jeopardised after release.”
In a statement on Saturday, following his release , Soyombo who was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday and detained for three days, recounted his experience, detailing how he was interrogated extensively on the day of his arrest and kept in a cell overnight.
By Thursday, however, he said the expected follow-up questioning did not hold, and he was informed that the Army intended to take its time with investigations into his identity as an investigative journalist.
He wrote, “’Nigerians are not worth fighting for.’ I hear that every now and then, and I’ve always disbelieved it.
“Yesterday, you proved me right. You all are the reason my detention by HQ Nigerian Army lasted ‘only’ three days. I’m a free man today because of your social media engagements with #FreeFisayoNow and the publications/broadcasts by the traditional media. And I can prove it.
“After my arrest at about 2am on Wednesday, I was grilled by different levels of the Army until deep into the night. I didn’t return to my cell until at least 11pm on Wednesday. My case was then forwarded to a superior office that was to interrogate me on Thursday.
“Surprisingly, Thursday was uneventful; from morning until night, this office never sent for me. I soon learnt the Army would take ‘as long as it wanted’ to conduct their ‘investigation’ just to establish that I was indeed an investigative journalist.”
He added that breakthrough came on Friday morning when he was being transferred to the Military Intelligence Brigade.
He said a chance encounter with an officer who recognised his name as being “in the news” became the turning point in his release.
Soyombo, acknowledging the groundswell of public support said, “The hashtag #FreeFisayoNow trended widely across Nigerian social media platforms, garnering the attention of human rights activists, journalists, and concerned citizens. Traditional media outlets also amplified the campaign, raising questions about press freedom and the right to due process.
“To my utmost surprise, on Friday morning, at about 11am or thereabouts, I was retrieved from my cell for transfer to the Military Intelligence Brigade (MIB). It was during the transfer that someone who ran into me asked to know my name, after which they said: “You’re the one; you’re in the news.”
Reflecting on the collective efforts that led to his freedom, Soyombo said, “Without your pressure, I’d still be in that cell by now, away from civilisation and held incommunicado. So, yes, my freedom is your freedom. This victory exists because of you, you and you. Thank you!”