– SERAP threatens legal action
By John Ogunsemore
The Nigerian Army has said that journalist, Fisayo Soyombo was arrested at an oil bunkering site.
Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lt.-Col. Danjuma Jonah Danjuma confirmed this in a statement released on Friday, November 29.
This followed public outcry over the detention of the award-winning journalist, who runs the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) online news platform.
Taking to X on Friday, FIJ disclosed that the Army has detained Soyombo for three days.
In its statement, the 6 Division, Nigerian Army explained that the journalist’s detention was directly linked to ongoing anti-oil theft operations.
“As part of its intensified operations against illegal oil bunkering, the 6 Division Nigerian Army has recorded significant successes.
“Recent intelligence uncovered the activities of a notorious gang involved in pipeline vandalism and illegal oil connections in the region.
“In a carefully planned operation, troops tracked the suspects to an illegal oil bunkering site.
“During the operation, multiple arrests were made, including that of Mr Fisayo Soyombo, who was found at the scene.
“The suspects, including Mr Soyombo, are currently undergoing preliminary investigations to determine their level of involvement in the illegal activities.
“His arrest is directly linked to the ongoing anti-oil theft operations in the region, and any claims suggesting otherwise are baseless,” the statement reads in part.
The division urged media outlets to verify the accuracy of their reports before disseminating information to the public.
The division expressed committed to combating criminal activities, particularly oil theft, to ensure the protection of national resources and increased oil and gas production in the region.
Meanwhile, a civil society organisation, Socio-Economic Rights And Accountability Project (SERAP) has threatened to sue the Army if the journalist is not immediately released.
In a Facebook post, the group said, “We urge President Tinubu to direct Nigeria’s army chief to immediately release journalist Fisayo Soyombo who is detained by the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt.
“We’ll see in court if he is not IMMEDIATELY RELEASED.”