Nigerian investigative journalist and founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), Fisayo Soyombo, has detailed alarming revelations about security agency complicity in oil bunkering activities in Nigeria.
During an interview on News Central’s Breakfast Xtra, Soyombo recounted his experiences while investigating illegal oil operations near the Port Harcourt Refinery, shedding light on systemic corruption among security operatives.
According to him, his capture during the investigation wasn’t the result of sophisticated intelligence but was triggered by internal discord within the security network.
“One person who didn’t receive his share of the bribe alerted the authorities,” he said.
Soyombo disclosed that upon arriving at the camp, multiple security agents expressed dissatisfaction over being excluded from bribes.
“You think you can pull off such an operation in our backyard without settling us?” one reportedly said.
Soyombo also revealed that information he provided to the army while detained was later leaked to the oil bunker operators.
“When I got out, the bunkers told me they had been informed by the soldiers about my identity as an investigative journalist,” he said.
This breach, he argued, pointed to the risks of involving compromised security personnel in such operations.
He emphasised that investigative journalism is often met with hostility by security agencies, who view the term “investigate” as their exclusive domain.
“Security operatives feel threatened when journalists say they are investigating, as if it’s not within our rights,” Soyombo noted.
He argued that journalists play a critical role in uncovering crimes and corruption, with the primary difference being that journalists publish findings while law enforcement prosecutes.
Fisayo Soyombo’s revelations raise pressing questions about the integrity of security forces and the broader challenges journalists face in uncovering corruption and illegal activities in Nigeria.
