Press Freedom: Police Summons FIJ’s Board of Trustee over “Cybercrime” Persecution

The Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has summoned Bukky Shonibare, a Board of Trustees to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism, FIJ, for an interview on cybercrime.

Shonibare has honoured the invitation of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre located at Plot 625 Mission Road, Diplomatic Drive, Abuja.

However, following the recent investigative report(s) by FIJ’s Editor-in-Chief, ‘Fisayo Soyombo, which exposed smuggling and Nigerian Customs Service complicities, the foundation believed such an invitation is far from a coincidence.

The police have summoned @BukkyShonibare, the chairman of FIJ’s Board of Trustees, to Abuja to answer questions about "cybercrime".

FIJ believes the invitation is in relation to its five-week-long investigative focus on smuggling and the Nigeria Customs Service👇

— Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ) (@fijnigeria) March 26, 2024

While this persecution is not the first, Shonibare’s invitation marks another event where the Police are sent after FIJ for its duty of informing the public via journalism.

With the outcome of the invite yet to be revealed, citizens are urging Customs and the Police on social media not to obstruct press freedom as they await the outcome of the invitation.

Read: Just In: CBN Again Raises Interest Rate to 24.75%

About The Author

Mayowa Durosinmi

author

M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

See author's posts