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#KeepFisayoSafe: Nigerians, Amnesty International want Fisayo Soyombo protected after exposé on prisons
International human rights organisation, Amnesty International and Nigerians are seeking protection for an investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, who exposed rot in Nigerian Police Force and Correctional Service.
Reports emerged on Tuesday that Soyombo is being hunted for arrest by security operatives after the release of the second part of his three-part exposé.
Soyombo also told SaharaReporters that he is presently in hiding because he is being hunted for arrest.
In the three-part undercover report, the journalist exposed corruption in the nation’s criminal justice system.
He 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.
Several human rights groups and advocates, as well as Nigerian journalists among others, have taken to social media to condemn the planned arrest of Soyombo. They describe it as an attempt to muzzle freedom of the press and give room for corruption to fester in the country.
A rights advocacy group, Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE) tweeted:
“According to information received, the personal safety of the investigative journalist, @fisayosoyombo may be under threat. We urge the @NigeriaGov to guarantee his safety.
“He is to be charged to court & prosecuted under Section 29 of the Nigeria Correctional Service Act”. These moves against future investigative stories are actually attacks by the state on democratic governance & the authority of the citizenry.”
READ ALSO: Fisayo Soyombo’s planned arrest shows Nigeria is sliding into totalitarianism – AIED
Amnesty International (AI) Nigeria tweeted:
Amnesty International is concerned about threats to the life of Fisayo Soyombo @fisayosoyombo, an investigative #Journalist whose work recently exposed injustice & human rights violations. #JournalismIsNotAcrime #PressForFreedom #KeepFisayoSafe #Nigeria
— Amnesty Int. Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) October 22, 2019
Media Career Development expert and a former Online Editor of The Nation Newspaper, Lekan Otufodunrin tweeted:
When BBC aired its recent report on #sexforgrades, everyone, including some of our top govt officials were full of praise for the quality of investigative reports. Here is one by @fisayosoyombo on police and prisons that needs taking action not threat of arrest.
— Lekan Otufodunrin (@lotufodunrin) October 22, 2019
See other reactions:
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
Nigeria needs to stop her constant muzzling of the press! YOU CAN NOT SILENCE THE MEDIA!
We ask that our journalists go above and beyond to cover the news, and when they do they’re targeted and victimised!
It is our collective DUTY to #KeepFisayoSafe
— Kiki Mordi (@kikimordi) October 22, 2019
The Criminal Justice System is rotten. This is no news to Nigerians and the authorities themselves and the reaction to findings of investigative journalists as well as advocates of reforms must never be belligerent. The Nigeria Correctional Service must get this! #KeepFisayoSafe
— SEGA L’éveilleur®? (@segalink) October 22, 2019
Paying ₦10,000 ($28) to delete a prisoner’s record, because he has plans to run for political office, is not a crime.
Telling the world that this is what happens in a prison in #Nigeria, is apparently a crime. #keepfisayosafe https://t.co/zliAvj8kFk
— Chxta (@Chxta) 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
Fisayo Soyombo’s life is under threat for exposing the rot in our correctional system. #keepFisayoSafe
— Toluwanimi (@RCadetolu) 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
You cannot claim to fight corruption, yet turn around to witchhunt a journalist who went undercover (at risk to his own life) to expose the biggest corruption racket within your own law enforcement agency. It shows your corruption fight is nothing but a fraud! #keepfisayosafe
— Ayò Bánkólé (@AyoBankole) October 22, 2019
@fisayosoyombo and other investigative journalists like him who reflect the seamy sides of our hugely flawed system must be protected, not just by the people but even by governments that are genuinely committed to making change happen! #keepfisayosafe
— JJ. Omojuwa (@Omojuwa) October 22, 2019
If Nigeria as a country allows freedom of the press would the whole country just crash and actually burn?
How many need to be persecuted for telling real stories?
Fisayo did amazing investigative reporting on the police and someone is not happy ??♀️
whatever happens #keepFisayosafe— AWAZI (@THEAWAZI) October 22, 2019
If Nigeria as a country allows freedom of the press would the whole country just crash and actually burn?
How many need to be persecuted for telling real stories?
Fisayo did amazing investigative reporting on the police and someone is not happy ??♀️
whatever happens #keepFisayosafe— AWAZI (@THEAWAZI) October 22, 2019
I am concerned by reports that @fisayosoyombo is being targeted with arrest/prosecution for doing an excellent job of undercover journalism. But why am I not surprised? Nigeria has evolved into a full blown dicatorship. It’s a shame! #keepfisayosafe
— Ohimai Godwin Amaize (@MrFixNigeria) October 22, 2019
I knew we’re going to trend hashtag when I read this account of Nigeria’s dysfunction, from the eyes of an investigative journalist. Nigeria has become that predictable, and it scares me that this is becoming the norm. Fisayo is in hiding after threats of arrest. #KeepFisayoSafe https://t.co/8iaUf80a9W
— Gimba Kakanda (@gimbakakanda) October 22, 2019
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