By John Ikani
The Nigerian Army has announced that investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo is currently in custody.
In a statement released on Friday, the Army disclosed that Soyombo, who founded the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), was apprehended at a site identified as a hub for illegal oil activities in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“Only recently, intelligence revealed the existence of a notorious gang of oil thieves noted for bursting pipelines and illegal connections for oil theft in the region,” said Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma John Danjuma.
“In a deliberate operation conducted, troops trailled the criminals to an illegal oil bunkering site. In a subsequent operation carried out, troops swooped on the site, where arrests were made, including one Fisayo Soyombo who was also arrested at the scene.”
Earlier on Friday, FIJ took to its official X account (formerly Twitter) to report that Soyombo had been held by the Nigerian Army for three consecutive days in Port Harcourt.
“The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt has been detaining our founder @fisayosoyombo [for] 3 days running,” the statement stated on the micro-blogging platform.
According to FIJ, the journalist’s electronic devices were seized, and he has been cut off from all communication.
“The Army must preserve his evidence and truth. Don’t destroy the evidence. We insist the truth must come out. It’s in your custody, don’t destroy the evidence.”
Concerns over declining press freedom
Nigeria is widely regarded as a challenging and unsafe country for journalists, a reputation reaffirmed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in its 2023 press freedom index, which ranked the nation 123rd out of 180.
The report highlighted that journalists in Nigeria are routinely targeted with surveillance, physical violence, and arbitrary arrests, with most cases of abuse going unaddressed, even when the offenders are identified.
Soyombo’s detention has sparked an outcry from civil society organisations and media advocates, including Amnesty International and SERAP. Many have taken to social media to demand his unconditional release.
