Fisayo Soyombo, a prominent Nigerian investigative journalist and the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has been arrested and detained by the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
He has been held for three consecutive days.
FIJ announced this on its official social media page, calling on authorities to release him.
The online news platform also revealed that all of Fisayo’s devices have been confiscated.
“The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt has been detaining our founder @fisayosoyombo 3 days running.
“Journalism is not a crime! #FreeFisayoNow
“All his devices have been seized.
“The Army must preserve his evidence and truth. Don’t destroy the evidence. We insist the truth must come out. It’s in your custody, don’t destroy the evidence. #FreeFisayoNow”, FIJ tweeted.
Soyombo, known for his exposés on corruption and abuse of power, recently published reports implicating officials of the Nigeria Customs Service in alleged smuggling activities.
This latest development has sparked renewed concerns over the safety of journalists reporting on sensitive issues and the state of press freedom in Nigeria.
His detention has provoked outrage from FIJ and media advocates, who are demanding his immediate release and protection from harassment.
