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Fisayo Soyombo: Plan To Arrest Journalist Distasteful, Says Advocacy Group

Since the release of the second part of his report, the Nigerian government has been on the trail of the journalist.

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The Advocacy for Integrity and Economic Development has condemned a planned arrest of an investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, by Nigeria's security agencies for exposing corruption in the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Correctional Service.

Fisayo, in his investigative report, spent two weeks in detention — five days in a police cell and eight as an inmate in Ikoyi Prison — to track corruption in Nigeria’s criminal justice system, beginning from the moment of arrest by the Police to the point of release by the prison. 

Since the release of the second part of his report, the Nigerian government has been on the trail of the journalist.

Soyombo, who spoke with SaharaReporters, also said he is currently in hiding. [story_link align="left"]75262[/story_link]

The group, in a statement by its spokesman, O'Seun John, rebuked the federal government for going against its anti-corruption stand and sliding into totalitarianism.

He said, "Mr. Fisayo Soyombo, the highly decorated investigative journalist who has been at the forefront of exposing the rots in our society is being surveilled for arrest by agents of the federal government for once again exposing the massive corruption in the police and prison system in the country.

"The now-viral undercover investigative work embarked upon by Mr. Fisayo which exposure seems to have triggered some powerful officers of the prison and police Services should be commended by all progressive Nigerian. What Mr. Fisayo has done will take months and huge resources to unearth should the federal government have lived up to its promise of ridding the system of corruption.

"Mr. Fisayo is a national hero that puts himself in dangerous circumstances to protect whatever is left of the sanity of this country. Instead of having him fear for his life and that of his family, the federal government should be concentrating resources on arresting and prosecuting all those who have turned our institutions to barter.

"This planned arrest is distasteful, nauseating, appalling and against every known convention of civility.”