Nigerian civil society leaders and activists have asked the government to ensure the safety of Fisayo Soyombo, the undercover journalist who exposed the rot in the Nigerian prison system in an investigative report.
The journalist 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.
To experience the workings of the system in its raw state, Soyombo — adopting the pseudonym Ojo Olajumoke — feigned an offence for which he was arrested and detained in police custody, arraigned in court and eventually remanded in prison.
Nigerians on Twitter are demanding the protection of the journalist over the revelations of his investigation.
Enough is Enough (EiE), Chidi Odinkalu and Segun Awosanya, better known as Segalink, are among the citizens demanding the protection of Soyombo.
Twitter reactions from Nigerians.
Here's a brief peek of his 2nd undercover investigative series: 'Drug Abuse, Sodomy, Bribery, Pimping… The Cash- And-Carry Operations Of Ikoyi Prisons 2'.
Read here 👉https://t.co/jdu0eAWNwx#PressFreedom#KeepFisayoSafe#CashAnCarry pic.twitter.com/NQ4UiSy98C— EiE Nigeria (@EiENigeria) October 22, 2019
The Nigeria Correction Service is a Service to the people and MUST be guided in their response to feedback from the public. Exposing organized crime within the system must not be seen as an attack on anyone begging for reprisal but a path to healing. #KeepFisayoSafe
— SEGA L'éveilleur® (@segalink) October 22, 2019
I've know @fisayosoyombo for more than a decade. And this is the life he chose: One of bravery, justice, and truth. @ProfOsinbajo, you've called on journalists to do investigations and fight fake news, 'Fisayo did just that. Should arrest be his reward? #keepfisayosafe pic.twitter.com/W9UUng44R0
— 'Mayowa Tijani (@OluwamayowaTJ) October 22, 2019
So for his #undercover work exposing #corruption in the #prisons, #Nigerian govt wants to arrest @fisayosoyombo & charge him for #Espionage? Shame on the govt. @CPJAfrica @ChidiOdinkalu @AbdulMahmud01 @gijn @gijnAfrica @simonkolawole #JournalismIsNotACrime
— DAYO AIYETAN (@dayoaiyetan) October 21, 2019
This Fisayo situation is boiling my blood! No journalist deserves punishment for doing their work #keepfisayosafe
— THEE AWAZI (@THEAWAZI) October 22, 2019
#NewAlert! Nigeria's investigative journalist @fisayosoyombo feels unsafe over plans to arrest him after exposing #corruption in the #police and #prisons in an UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATIVE story published @thecableng and @TheICIR #DontArrestFisayo #KeepFisayoSafe#CashAndCarryPrison
— ✍ Sèyí Gesindé – Ghéshè (@GhesheS) October 22, 2019
Someone goes undercover, exposes a rot, and the next logical reaction is to find him and teach him a lesson. Is this how to go forward? @fisayosoyombo should not be hiding for his life but is now having to because of credible threats. #journalismisnotacrime #keepFisayosafe
— Lolade Nwanze (@LoladeSowoolu) October 22, 2019
In #Nigeria the crime is in exposing the crime, not committing the crime.
Think Salkida, think Agba Jalingo, think Jafar Jafar. @fisayosoyombo "did wrong" by talking about the rot in our prisons. #keepFisayosafe #JournalismIsNotACrime
— Chxta (@Chxta) October 22, 2019
For this undercover investigation – Nigerian investigative Journalist, Fisayo is already receiving threats of arrests #JournalismIsNotACrime #KeepFisayoSafe https://t.co/V7FzvOCKuw
— Mercy (@AbangMercy) October 22, 2019
When Nigerian journalists go undercover, they end up with their lives endangered. We should be enraged about the decay in the prison system in Nigeria, instead we are faced with possible threats to Fisayo’s life. #KeepFisayoSafe
Cc @AmnestyNigeria @KadariaAhmed pic.twitter.com/wGivgcWye2— Ndi Kato (@YarKafanchan) October 22, 2019
Unfortunately, In Nigeria, it is a crime to expose a crime. #KeepFisayoSafe
— Da Mayor of Tweet City 🌎 (@iam_damayor) October 22, 2019
Dear @NigeriaGov,
It's of utmost importance to #keepfisayosafe and act on all the revelations in his investigations. That's all Nigerians wish and hope you'll do. Thank you.
cc: @raufaregbesola @PoliceNG @ProfOsinbajo @MBuhari
— Elom Nusk (@gafartweets) October 22, 2019
One of Nigeria's finest investigative journalists @fisayosoyombo is currently on the run because his story has beamed sunlight into the cave of angry rats in the Nigerian justice system.
If you care about having a half decent country to live in, don't let them endanger Fisayo! pic.twitter.com/lhEelP9tPu
— David Hundeyin (@DavidHundeyin) October 22, 2019
He's our national treasure. A beacon of hope to the Nigerian people. #KeepFisayoSafe#KeepFisayoSafe#KeepFisayoSafe#KeepFisayoSafe#KeepFisayoSafe
— Daemii🐦 (@Dharamzy) October 22, 2019
#KeepFisayoSafe#Pray4Segalink#thankKikimordi
Doing Good in Nigeria is hard. @segalink@fisayosoyombo @kikimordi (and many more) deserve all the prayers, goodwill and practical assistance we can give.
— Onyeka (@onyekaonyekpe) October 22, 2019
In a meeting with @fisayosoyombo last week, he explained the mental and health challenges he had to pass through during the investigations. Such an effort should have been commended by the state and FG, but no, they are threatening him. #keepFisayosafe
— Victor Ejechi (@VictorEjechi) October 22, 2019
Source: The Cable
