Headline: FIJ Founder Fisayo Soyombo Responds to Nigerian Police Summons in Abuja
Headline: FIJ Founder Fisayo Soyombo Responds to Nigerian Police Summons in Abuja
On Wednesday, Fisayo Soyombo, a renowned journalist and the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), responded to an official invitation from the Nigerian Police Force. Soyombo reported to the National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCC) in Abuja around 9:00 am, accompanied by the company’s legal counsel.
Soyombo, known for his fearless investigative journalism, shared a message on his Facebook page before entering the facility, expressing concern about his potential detention. “If you haven’t heard from me by dawn, it means I have been detained,” he wrote, signaling the seriousness of the situation. His reports have often uncovered deep-seated corruption and systemic failures within public institutions, including the Nigeria Police and Nigeria Customs Service, making him a target for those he has exposed.
The police’s interest in Soyombo follows a series of hard-hitting investigative pieces that have ruffled feathers among high-ranking government officials. He voluntarily turned himself in, despite the possibility of detention. “I have just voluntarily arrived at the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCC) in Abuja based on publicly available information that I am wanted. I’m here with FIJ lawyer Abimbola Ojenike,” Soyombo stated. He ended his post on a cautious note, hinting at the uncertainty of his release: “See you ‘soon’, whenever that is—today, tomorrow, next week, next month. Whenever.”
This development comes on the heels of another recent incident involving FIJ journalist Daniel Ojukwu. Ojukwu was arrested in Lagos on May 1 and subsequently transferred to Abuja, where he was interrogated at the National Cybercrime Centre. His arrest was linked to a petition filed by Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, the Senior Special Assistant on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to former President Muhammadu Buhari. Ojukwu spent nine days in detention at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), during which time he had limited access to medical care, his family, and legal representation.
Ojukwu’s release was secured after intense advocacy from the Action Group for the Protection of Civic Actors, along with human rights activists Omoyele Sowore and Deji Adeyanju, who organized protests at the Force Headquarters.
Soyombo’s current situation is being closely monitored by his supporters and the broader journalism community, who remain vigilant in their calls for press freedom and protection of investigative journalists in Nigeria.
