Fisayo Soyombo, founder and editor-in-chief of the Foundation for Investigative Journalists (FIJ), has alleged that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) are planning to arrest him. In a report on the FIJ website, which cites an unnamed security source, Soyombo claimed the DSS is seeking to apprehend him “any moment from now, as soon as his whereabouts can be traced.”
FIJ has been unable to confirm the specific reasons behind the alleged DSS interest in Soyombo. It remains unclear whether it is due to his work as an investigative journalist, his social media presence, or his leadership at FIJ — an online news platform known for holding the government accountable and exposing corruption.
Soyombo’s recent investigative work, including an undercover investigation into smuggling and gunrunning titled Undercover As A Smuggler, drew significant attention. The investigation exposed widespread corruption within the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), implicating senior officers, including a Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) and current Comptroller-General of Customs.
Soyombo has also been critical of the DSS, frequently calling out the agency for targeting journalists and activists, as he did in a series of tweets on microblogging platform X. The FIJ has similarly faced scrutiny from authorities for its investigative reports, including a recent exposé on Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, and her alleged N700 million in state funds for foreign trips.
This is not the first time Soyombo has faced threats from security agencies. He was previously detained by the Nigeria Police Force and, in 2016, accused of subversion by the Nigerian army for exposing the mistreatment of soldiers injured in the fight against Boko Haram. Public backlash has previously deterred efforts to arrest Soyombo, as seen in 2019 when the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) backed down from attempting to detain him after widespread outcry.
Soyombo’s fate remains uncertain as concerns grow over the treatment of journalists and
activists under the current administration.
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