Fisayo Soyombo Arrested at Illegal Oil Bunkering Site – Nigerian Army

The Nigerian Army has confirmed the arrest of Fisayo Soyombo, the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), at an illegal oil bunkering site. According to a statement from the army, Soyombo was detained by troops from the 6 Division in Port Harcourt, where he was held for three days. The arrest follows intelligence gathered on a notorious gang involved in pipeline bursts and illegal oil connections in the region.

In a response to reports about Soyombo’s arrest, Danjuma Danjuma, the acting deputy director of public relations for the division, clarified that the news had been misleading. He explained that following the discovery of the criminal gang, troops tracked them to the site and carried out an operation, arresting Soyombo along with other suspects. The army emphasized that Soyombo’s arrest is linked to the ongoing investigation into oil theft activities in the region, and the suspects are currently being investigated to determine their involvement.

The army also urged media outlets to verify information before publicizing it, stressing that their commitment to combatting criminal activities, particularly oil theft, remains strong. Soyombo has previously accused officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) of complicity in smuggling activities, and on November 18, he released a series of videos to support these claims.