Nigeria Police Detain Journalist Fisayo Soyombo

Nigeria Police have detained journalist Fisayo Soyombo.

Glamtush reports that Fisayo Soyombo, Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) founder, is being detained at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.

This online platform understands that Soyombo had on November 23, received a text message from the security agency.

“This office is conducting an investigation in which your name and phone number featured, in view of this, you are to interview the Head, IGP Monitoring Unit on the 29th November 2021 by 1000hrs at 1st Floor, Force Hqtrs,” it read.

Mr Soyombo had honoured an invitation to be interviewed by the head of the IGP monitoring unit of the force on Monday. Shortly after arriving at the interview, Mr Soyombi disclosed that he was invited in connection with his work as a journalist and placed the public on alert of his possible detention.

“The decision to come was straightforward: I am a law-abiding citizen who has committed no crime unless journalism is one. If there is no update on this handle by dusk, it means I have been unjustly detained,” Mr Soyombo tweeted.

Mr Soyombo has since been detained according to a report by his organisation. His detention is in connection with a story that was published in August, accusing police top brass of mismanaging up to N1 billion naira allocated for police camp projects in various parts of the northern region.

Joseph Egbunike, police chief at the heart of the scandal, was flagged by FIJ as the head of a police panel that was asked to probe Abba Kyari, who has been indicted in the United States for his role in the international money laundering ring led by Ramon ‘Hushpuppi’ Abbas.

In its Monday night statement, Soyombo’s paper said he had been invited following a petition by a group of lawyers defending the police against corrupt activities exposed by FIJ.

Mr Soyombo’s detention continues to raise concern amongst citizens and the press community owing to the Nigeria Police Force long history of human rights violations and lack of respect for due process.

The FIJ said the police have yet to provide additional information as to why Soyombo has not been released several hours after honouring their invitation. A spokesman for the police in Abuja did not immediately return a request seeking comments from Peoples Gazette on Monday evening.