Nigerian Investigative Journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, has refuted claims of the Nigerian Army on his arrest while conducting an undercover investigation.
Naija News reports that Fisayo, the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has been arrested and detained for three days by the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital.
Later on Friday, FIJ confirmed that the journalist had been released.
Before Soyombo’s release, the Acting Deputy Director 6 Division Army Public Relations, Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, in a statement, said Fisayo was arrested alongside other individuals engaging in oil bunkering. 
He stated that all suspects are currently undergoing preliminary investigation to ascertain their level of involvement or otherwise.
However, in an interview with Arise TV, Soyombo clarified that he was not arrested with oil thieves but had approached the military personnel, thinking they were there to facilitate a settlement.
He admitted that he did not inform the Nigerian Army about his investigation due to mistrust.
He said, “There was no arrest, the Nigerian army did not arrest me. They spotted me, flashed their torch, and I came out and wanted to open a conversation. I didn’t show them my ID because the illegal bunkerers had said they had settled everyone and the guys who came were the ones that were not settled, and a conversation was going to settle them, so I just thought it was a settlement conversation and I came forward.
“The real growls of the army were that, one, I didn’t carry them along. I won’t deny that I have low trust for Nigerian public institutions – I didn’t trust the army, I didn’t carry them along, but also known illegal oil bunkerers were bribing different people with various security formations and I would endanger my life by carrying them along if I didn’t know who was who.”
He revealed that after being detained in a military camp, he maintained his cover as an illegal oil bunkerer until he was taken to the Sixth Division headquarters.
He added, “They all felt I was an illegal oil bunkerer, and I played along until they took me to 6th Div. And I thought from then I was speaking with people in offices who were investigating the case; that is when I said I was an undercover journalist and showed them proof.”
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