Investigative journalist, Soyombo breaks silence after release

Nigerian investigative journalist and founder of Foundation for Investigative Journalism, Fisayo Soyombo, has opened up on his detention by the Nigerian Army 6 Division.

Recall that FIJ had raised that its founder was detained by the army, Port Harcourt, Rivers State over his comments on army involvement in illegal oil bunkering.

Clearing the air, the army in a statement issued on Friday by the Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 6 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah said the journalist was arrested alongside other suspected oil thieves at an illegal oil bunkering site.

Following uproar from some quarters, the army on Friday night bowed to pressure and released Soyombo.

Reacting to the events, Soyombo in a statement on Saturday thanked Nigerians for demanding his release.

He said, “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.

“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.”

“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”!