Fisayo Soyombo Portfolio - 'Fisayo Soyombo

Founder,
Editor-in-Chief,
@fijnigeria

Writer. Private Investigator, Investigative Journalist. Seeker, digger & teller of hidden stories. Fanatic Nigerian. Incurable Liverpool FC fan. Founder/Editor-in-Chief, @fijnigeria

The year that made me

Major Investigations at a glance

take a quick look at some of my landmark projects

PRISON UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION (I)

Bribery, bail for sale… Lagos police station where innocent civilians are held and criminals are recycled

PRISON UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION (II)

Drug abuse, sodomy, bribery, pimping… The cash-and-carry operations of Ikoyi Prisons October 21, 2019

PRISON UNDERCOVER INVESTIGATION (III)

A reporter’s diary — Living with a ‘mad’ cell mate, set up by prison warders, abducted by the police.

Undercover as a Smuggler

‘Fisayo Soyombo smuggled 100 bags of rice from Benin Republic into Nigeria. He found out Customs bosses took bribes from smugglers, then betrayed their colleagues by updating smugglers on the itinerary of patrol officers.

Continue Reading >>

ARROWS OF GOD: One of Nigeria’s Biggest Orphanages Is Trading Babies for Cash

For 19 months, investigative journalist ‘FISAYO SOYOMBO studied, trailed, investigated and eventually penetrated a Christian orphanage that had been selling babies under the table.

HELL IN SHELL

After botching Chinazam Okoli’s appendicitis surgery, Shell Nigeria is being opaque about what went wrong.

PORTRAITS OF BLOOD (I)

Death threats, ‘murders’, indiscriminate arrests… the post-Lekki shooting cover-up, FIJ Nigeria

PORTRAITS OF BLOOD (II)

Names, Photos, Videos… How Lekki #EndSARS Protesters Were Massacred, FIJ Nigeria

PORTRAITS OF BLOOD (III)

Survivours of Lekki Massacre whose Lives Will Never Be The Same Again, FIJ Nigeria

freedom of expression

Investigations Cont...

FORGOTTEN SOLDIERS I

‘Maggots in my leg’… an amputee-soldier’s 44 months of begging the army for ‘original’ prosthesis

FORGOTTEN SOLDIERS II

The bombed soldier who is now a ‘vampire’… and others at the mercy of the army’s ‘blood-stained corruption’

FORGOTTEN SOLDIERS III

Inside military hospitals where soldiers fan their gunshot wounds and meals are served without fish or meat

FORGOTTEN SOLDIERS IV

Joy, the faithful lover who married her soldier-boyfriend after his leg was amputated

FORGOTTEN SOLDIERS V

Reporter’s Diary: Escaping a bomb blast in Borno, losing my manhood in Kaduna

Bandits Are Worst Criminals

Awards & recognition

International Awards and recognition

Fellow, Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalists, University of Michigan (2023-2024).

Fellow, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford (2022).
Finalist, International Journalist of the Year category, One World Media Awards (June 2021).
Honourable Mention, Karpoor Chandra Kulish International Award for Excellence in Journalism (May 2021).
Second Prize winner, Fetisov Journalism Award (Outstanding Investigation category), February 2021.
Winner, Local Reporter category, Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism, United Kingdom (December 2020).
Finalist, Local Reporter category, Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism, United Kingdom (November 2020).
Finalist, Outstanding Investigative Reporting category, Fetisov Journalism Awards, Switzerland, November 2020 (winner to be decided in February 2021)

“This journalist wants to raise the bar for investigative reporting in Nigeria” Cont...

Patrick Egwu & Ifesinachi AyoguIJnet

“Soyombo is known for exposing corruption and other ills in the society through his journalism.” Cont...

Chinedu AsaduThe Cable NG

“Fisayo’s report is premised on his long stay in the Ikoyi prisons as an undercover investigative journalist, where he was able to through decoy, deceit and...” Cont...

Bolatito AdebolaIndependent NG

“The latest international recognition for Soyombo is a continuation of a stellar year for the investigative journalist, who, this year alone, has either won or been short-listed for..." Cont...

EditorialICIR

"Our paths crossed in 2014. I was about to set up TheCable online newspaper. The biggest challenge was getting a good editor to take charge. Having practised journalism for over two decades, I wanted to..." Cont...

Simon KolawoleThis Day Live

"Soyombo is one of Nigeria’s unknown but quietly emerging writing talents with intuitive investigating prowess. His burgeoning writing craft has won him three national writing contests; and has earned him more than 15 youth journalism-related awards..." Cont...

KoladeDuke Int;l Magazine