The Nigerian Army has confirmed the detention of Fisayo Soyombo an investigative journalist and founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, FIJ, arrested at an alleged illegal oil bunkering site in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
In a statement on Friday, Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Danjuma John Danjuma stated: “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.
“In a deliberate operation conducted, troops trailed 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.”
The statement noted that suspects, including Mr. Soyombo, were currently undergoing preliminary investigations to determine their level of involvement in the alleged criminal activities.
The FIJ earlier reported via its official X (formerly Twitter) account that its founder had been in military custody for three days without communication and had his devices seized.
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“The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt has been detaining our founder @fisayosoyombo [for] three days running,” the statement noted.
FIJ also demanded that the Army preserve any evidence and allow the truth to come to light.
The incident has sparked a wave of public reactions and criticism, with many calling for Mr. Soyombo’s immediate release.
Reacting to the arrest, X user @OfficialEdoOsasB expressed frustration over the state of democracy in Nigeria, saying: “Nigeria is a Banana Republic filled with dictators. We’re not in a democracy. When Donald Trump called it a shithole country, y’all were crying.”
Lagos-based lawyer Ridwan Oke praised Mr. Soyombo’s investigative work, saying “up till this moment, nothing has been done to investigate the persons involved.
“He has done tons of work exposing evil in this country.
“The Nigerian Military has held him in custody for three days. He’s just a journalist trying to make this country work.”
Human rights activist Rinu Oduala questioned the rationale behind the detention, asking: “Why is the Nigerian Army detaining Fisayo Soyombo for God’s sake? What kind of country is this?”
Nigeria has long been considered a challenging environment for journalists.
In its 2023 Global Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders ranked Nigeria 123rd out of 180 countries for frequent attacks, arbitrary arrests, and a lack of accountability for crimes against journalists.
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