The Nigeria Police has released investigation journalist Fisayo Soyombo on bail
Soyombo flew to Abuja to speak with the NPF-NCCC on Wednesday morning after both parties agreed to a meeting.
“I have just voluntarily arrived at the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCC) in Abuja based on publicly available information that I am wanted. I’m here with FIJ lawyer Abimbola Ojenike,” Soyombo shared on his social media pages earlier.
Soyombo and FIJ’s lawyer Abimbola Ojenike were locked in a conversation with NPF-NCCC personnel that kept them for about eight hours.
He was subsequently released on bail but he must return to the NPF-NCCC headquarters in Abuja for bi-weekly meetings.
“We arrived at the NPF-NCCC HQ a few minutes past 9 am and we left at exactly 4:58 pm,” Soyombo said on Wednesday.
“Even though Muyiwa Adejobi, the Force spokesman, had said that there were more than 15 petitions against me and FIJ, I came in without knowing what exactly I was here for. It ended up being about the Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire stories.”
Soyombo had been outside Nigeria for a fellowship and other journalism engagements for the better part of 2024.
The NPF-NCCC grilled Bukky Shonibare, the chairman of FIJ’s Board of Trustees, at their Abuja office in March, only letting her go after making her promise to “produce” Soyombo.
Soyombo recently returned to Nigeria. The NPF-NCCC and Soyombo established contact, and they agreed on a date to meet.
“The whole conversation was mainly for just one story — the Orelope Adefulire report and related ones,” Soyombo explained.
“It was for this story that Shonibare was grilled; for which the police abducted Daniel Ojukwu and kept him in unlawful detention for days. Now, I am out on bail and I am supposed to come back here every two weeks.”
Although Soyombo voluntarily walked into the NPF-NCCC Abuja office, he was only freed on bail conditions.
Source : FIJ