By Ishaya Ibrahim
Investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, who undertook an undercover investigation to expose Nigeria Customs Service connivance with smugglers in undermining Nigerian economy, is now the subject of investigation, not the rogue border officials.
Soyombo is the editor of FIJ, the news medium that published the damning report about Customs officials working with smugglers in undermining the Nigerian economy.
In one of the reports, Soyombo published a video of a businessman, IBD Dende harassing a Customs official.
In the video, IBD Dende told the Customs official: “The other day, I saw your Oga’s four trailer loads of rice at Seme. Why didn’t you stop them?”
In another report, Soyombo said IBD Dende is a friend of President Bola Tinubu who even made the list of Nigerian delegates to the 28th session of Conference of the Parties (COP) on Climate Change that was held last December in Dubai, a United Arab Emirate.
Soyombo, in a tweet on his X handle, alleged that IBD Dende is also a friend with the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, which makes the investigation of the alleged smuggler a near-impossibility.
The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) last Tuesday grilled FIJ’s Board chair, Bukky Shonibare over journalistic practices at FIJ without slecifyibg on any of its report. The grilling ended with the police team ordering Shonibare to produce Soyombo.
In a post on Saturday, Soyombo said: “Good morning, @CustomsNG. Despite police insistence that @fijnigeria’s board chair must produce me, I’ll see you on Monday as usual.”