Fisayo Soyombo, a well-known investigative journalist, recently made headlines after spending three days in military detention over his daring investigation into crude oil bunkering in the Niger Delta. While the Nigerian Army insists Soyombo was arrested during a raid on an illegal bunkering site, the journalist has a different story to tell, one that paints the military in an unflattering light.
Soyombo’s arrest quickly became a viral sensation, sparking widespread outrage on social media, which likely pressured the authorities to release him. Speaking on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television, Soyombo didn’t hold back words about why he didn’t involve the military in his investigation.
“The most important point to make is that illegal oil bunkerers bribe security operatives across the different security agencies, bribe them to make the bunkering happen,” Soyombo stated, bluntly accusing security agencies of complicity. According to him, this collusion is precisely why he couldn’t trust the military to assist in his work.
The very people tasked with ending illegal oil bunkering are, in Soyombo’s words, “partners, collaborators, and allies” of the criminals they’re supposed to be fighting. If true, this is a damning indictment of Nigeria’s security apparatus.
Soyombo also shared a chilling account of how his identity was compromised while in detention. “These people were telling me everything about me,” he revealed, referring to the bunkerers. “I was in detention, I didn’t speak to anyone else. As a matter of fact, they did not give me a phone to call anyone until Friday evening just before my release. How did the illegal bunkerers then know everything about me?”
This revelation, Soyombo said, vindicates his decision to exclude the military from his investigation. “That is the real story,” he added.
Despite his harsh criticism of some military personnel, Soyombo was careful to acknowledge that not everyone in the armed forces is corrupt. “I am aware that there are people in the military who are genuinely interested in ending illegal oil bunkering,” he admitted, though his overall tone suggested these individuals may be in the minority.
Soyombo is no stranger to risk. His investigative portfolio includes undercover exposés on the Ikoyi Correctional Centre and Nigeria Customs, among others. But his Niger Delta investigation has not only highlighted the rot in Nigeria’s oil industry but also raised uncomfortable questions about the role of security operatives in perpetuating this illegal trade.
