Fisayo Soyombo, fiery investigative journalist, who reported to the Nigeria Police Force on Wednesday after the Police declared him wanted has been released on bail.

He said his detention of over seven hours by the Police was at the instance of the Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire.  

The Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) announced his release on its X (formerly Twitter) handle.

“We can confirm that after more than seven-and-a-half hours with the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC), our founder @fisayosoyombo has been released on bail.”

In a later post on X (formerly Twitter), Soyombo thanked everyone who looked out for him while in police detention.

“My profound thanks to everyone who kept watch earlier today while I was with the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC).”

“I wasn’t particularly sure why I was needed, given the Force spokesman once said there were more than 15 petitions against me and @fijnigeria.”

“As it turned out, it was about FIJ’s coverage of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs Nigeria (OSSAP-SDGs) headed by Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire — same reason for which Daniel OJukwu was abducted by the police, same reason for which FIJ’s Board Chair, Bukky Shonibare, was summoned.”

“The freedom I have now is only temporary: as part of my bail conditions, I am to report again to the NPF-NCCC in two weeks.”

The Nigeria Police Force was still mute on the matter as at the time of this report.

Soyombo’s almost eight hours’ ordeal in police detention again resonates with the growing discomfort of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration with open governance and free press.

Different agencies and officials of the Nigerian federal government have recently been resorting to deploying state apparatus for oppressing citizens and harassing communities.