Demand For Release Of Investigative Journalist, Fisayo Soyombo Intensifies; Amnesty, Others Join

Outrage over the arrest of investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo by the Nigerian Army has intensified.

His arrest has been confirmed by the Army authorities in a statement issued on Friday by Lt.col Danjuma Jonah Acting Deputy Director 6 Division Army Public Relations.

The Army spokesman said the journalist was arrested during an operation by soldiers to arrest oil thieves in the oil rich state state.

Barely few hours after he was arrested in Port Harcourt, Rivers state by officers of the Nigerian Army, local and international rights bodies have demanded his immediate release.

Analysts insist that Soyombo’s arrest  has further highlighted the crack down on the media by the Tinubu’s administration, citing his investigative reports that have exposed corruption in key government agencies.

Reacting to his arrest Media Rights Agenda, MRA, said Fisayo’s arrest illegal  and violates his fundamental human rights, it called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately put an end to media repression by his government.

The group, in a statement issued by its Communications Officer, Idowu Adewale, MRA’s Programme Officer,  John Gbadamosi, said, the Army lacked powers to arrest him.

The statement: “The Nigerian Army lacks the authority to arrest or detain civilians.

“In any event, it is a clear requirement under the Constitution that anyone who is deprived of his personal liberty upon reasonable suspicion of his having committed a criminal offence, must be charged to court within 24 hours.

“Both of these fundamental legal guarantees have been violated in the arrest and detention of Mr. Soyombo by the Nigerian Army.”

The global righst body, Amnesty International, AI, accused the Army of trying to compromise Soyombo’s investigative work, adding that the administration of Tinubu has proved that it has no respect for the media, considering the number of journalist that have been arrested since it came to office last year.

It described his arrest as draconian and utter disregard for the rule of law.

AI said, “Fisayo has been in military detention and out of reach since 26 Nov. — in utter disregard for the rule of law. This draconian trend is sending the wrong signal and can force journalists to live in perpetual fear for daring to investigate and report on issues of public interest.

“Since President Bola Tinubu took office, at least 11 journalists and bloggers have been targeted for just doing their job. This is unacceptable. The Nigerian authorities must immediately put an end to this hostility towards human rights.”

According to a statement issued by the Army today, Soyombo was arrested during a raid on a “notorious gang of oil thieves noted for bursting pipelines and illegal connections for oil theft in the region.”

Part of the statement read: “Only recently, intelligence revealed the existence of a notorious gang of oil thieves noted for bursting pipelines and illegal connections for oil theft in the region,” said the statement by Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public RelationsDanjuma John Danjuma, a lieutenant colonel.

“In a deliberate operation conducted, troops trailled the criminals to an illegal oil bunkering site. In a subsequent operation carried out, troops swooped on the site, where arrests were made, including one Fisayo Soyombo who was also arrested at the scene.”

The magazine reports that the Nigerian military has been accused of being part of crude oil theft in the nation’s oil rich Niger Delta. They have denied the allegation.