Fisayo Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative
Journalism (FIJ), says he was released by the Nigerian Army after his
predicament made it to social media.
On Friday, FIJ reported that Soyombo had been arrested and
detained for three days by the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port
Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.
Afterwards, the army said Soyombo was arrested at an illegal
oil bunkering site.
Later on Friday, FIJ confirmed that the journalist had been
released.
In a statement on Saturday, Soyombo explained that he was
grilled by the army at different levels.
He said the army discovered he was an investigative
journalist after his arrest went viral.
The journalist thanked Nigerians for their social media
posts which he said expedited his release.
“’Nigerians are not worth fighting for’. I hear that every
now and then, and I’ve always disbelieved it,” he wrote on X.
“Yesterday, you proved me right. You all are the reason my
detention by @HQNigerianArmy lasted ‘only’ three days.
“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!”
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