‘Fisayo Soyombo: Without social media pressure, I’d still be in army detention

‘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!”