Nigerian Army Releases Investigative Journalist Fisayo Soyombo After Three-Day Detention

Following outcry over the arrest and detention of investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, the Nigerian Army has released him.
The Army had detained him for three days and claimed the journalist was arrested at an illegal oil bunkering site.
This was after the Foundation for Investigative Journalism revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that Soyombo had been held in Army custody for the past three days.
“The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt has been detaining our founder, Fisayo Soyombo, for three days. Journalism is not a crime,” FIJ said.
Confirming Soyombo’s detention, in a statement on Friday, the Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Danjuma, said Soyombo’s detention followed intelligence regarding a notorious gang of oil thieves involved in pipeline sabotage and illegal oil connections in the region.
Danjuma stated that the suspects arrested at the site, including Soyombo, are currently undergoing preliminary investigations to determine their level of involvement.
However, confirming his release, one of Soyombo’s lawyers, Abimbola Ojenike, said Soyombo was released some minutes ago (some minutes past 7pm)
He said, “He has just been released some minutes ago. And we are trying to find our way out of the cantonment. He is out now. He was released to his lawyers. Technically that means when his attention is needed, his lawyers would have to produce him. But it is not like the regular bail process.”