Nigerian Army Frees Detained Journalist Fisayo Soyombou

Fisayo Soyombo Regains Freedom After Nigerian Army Detention

“Technically, this means that if his attention is required, his lawyers will have to produce him, but it is not a...”

Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, has been released by the Nigerian Army following widespread public outcry.

Investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo has been released by the Nigerian Army after being detained for three days. According to one of his lawyers, Abimbola Ojenike, Soyombo was released shortly after 7 pm on Friday.

Soyombo's detention had sparked widespread concern, with many calling for his release. The Nigerian Army had claimed that Soyombo was arrested at an illegal oil bunkering site, but the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), which Soyombo founded, denied these allegations.

The FIJ confirmed Soyombo's release on Friday, attributing it to the intense media campaign and public advocacy that followed his detention. However, the organization also expressed concerns over Soyombo's safety, citing the sensitive nature of the information he had shared with the Army during his detention.

“He has just been released some minutes ago, and we are trying to find our way out of the cantonment. He is now free and has been released to his lawyers,” Ojenike said.

“Technically, this means that if his attention is required, his lawyers will have to produce him, but it is not a standard bail process.”

The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) announced on social media Friday morning that its founder, Fisayo Soyombo, had been detained by the Nigerian Army 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.

Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Danjuma, the Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, confirmed Fisayo Soyombo's arrest on Friday, following widespread public outcry. According to Danjuma, Soyombo was apprehended at an illegal oil bunkering site, along with other suspects who are currently undergoing preliminary investigations.

Danjuma explained that the arrest was part of a deliberate operation to crack down on oil thieves in the region. Intelligence had revealed a notorious gang of oil thieves, and troops trailed them to the illegal oil bunkering site, where Soyombo and others were arrested.

The Nigerian Army has reassured the public of its commitment to curbing the activities of criminal gangs, particularly oil thieves, in the region. This effort aims to boost oil and gas production in the country.