Fisayo Soyombo, the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has broken his silence after being released from three days of detention by the Nigerian Army.
Speaking on social media, Soyombo revealed that his release was expedited after his case gained traction online.
On Friday, FIJ reported that Soyombo had been arrested by the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The military initially claimed Soyombo was detained for being involved in illegal oil bunkering, but after his arrest went viral, the army learned of his identity as an investigative journalist.
Soyombo expressed his gratitude to Nigerians who took to social media with the hashtag #FreeFisayoNow, along with traditional media outlets that highlighted his detention. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he wrote:
“Nigerians are not worth fighting for. I hear that every now and then, and I’ve always disbelieved it. Yesterday, you proved me right. You all are the reason my detention by @HQNigerianArmy lasted ‘only’ three days.”
He continued, thanking the public for their intervention: “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.”
Soyombo detailed the events of his arrest, which occurred around 2 a.m. on Wednesday. He was interrogated by different levels of the army until late in the evening. His case was then forwarded for further questioning, but Thursday passed without any action. It wasn’t until Friday morning that he was informed of his 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,'” Soyombo shared. “Without your pressure, I’d still be in that cell by now, away from civilisation and held incommunicado.”
In conclusion, Soyombo acknowledged the role of the public in securing his release: “So, yes, my freedom is your freedom. This victory exists because of you, you and you. Thank you!”
