Esther Salifu
Investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, has been released from the Nigerian Army’s detention after a three-day ordeal.
In a statement, Soyombo expressed his gratitude to Nigerians and the media for their unwavering support, which he believes was instrumental in securing his release.
In his words Soyombo said, “Without your pressure, I’d still be in that cell by now, away from civilisation and held incommunicado. So, yes, my freedom is your freedom. This victory exists because of you, you and you. Thank you!”
“‘Nigerians are not worth fighting for. I hear that every now and then, and I’ve always disbelieved it. Yesterday, you proved me right. You all are the reason my detention by HQ Nigerian Army lasted ‘only’ three days,” Soyombo said.
Soyombo was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday and detained for three days. He recounted his experience, detailing how he was interrogated extensively on the day of his arrest and kept in a cell overnight.
The breakthrough came on Friday morning when he was being transferred to the Military Intelligence Brigade, where an officer recognized his name as being “in the news,” leading to his release.
“To my utmost surprise, on Friday morning, at about 11am or thereabouts, I was retrieved from my cell for transfer to the Military Intelligence Brigade (MIB). It was during the transfer that someone who ran into me asked to know my name, after which they said: “You’re the one; you’re in the news.”
He disclosed that the , “The hashtag #FreeFisayoNow trended widely across Nigerian social media platforms, got the attention of human rights activists, journalists, and other concerned citizens which facilitated his release.
