Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has been released by the Nigerian Army after spending three days in detention.
Soyombo was arrested by the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, under the claim that he was involved in “illegal oil bunkering” at a site the military described as such.
The FIJ confirmed Soyombo’s release on its official X (formerly Twitter) account, stating, “We can confirm that our founder, @fisayosoyombo, has now been released by @HQNigerianArmy, following the intense media campaign you all mounted.”
The FIJ rejected the Army’s allegations, calling them a distortion of Soyombo’s investigative work. “FIJ acknowledges the Nigerian Army’s deliberate mischaracterisation to suggest an involvement in ‘illegal oil bunkering.’ FIJ will also address this statement appropriately,” the organization said.
The media group also expressed concern about Soyombo’s safety, given the sensitive information he reportedly shared with the Army during his detention.
“Our immediate concern is regarding the safety of Fisayo Soyombo in light 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,” FIJ added.
