Segun Atanda/
A top smuggler has reportedly scammed his fellow smugglers, collecting a whopping N200 million under the false pretense of bribing renowned investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo, to halt his relentless exposé on smuggling and Customs corruption.
Since February, Soyombo, founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), has been unearthing the intricate web of smuggling operations in Nigeria, implicating high-ranking Customs officials as complicit players in the illegal trade.
His reports have struck a nerve, prompting multiple attempts to bribe him, including an outrageous offer of N50 million last month, which he flatly rejected.
“They offered N50 million after I opposed their attempts to withdraw the case against my publication,” Soyombo revealed in a post on X. “The idea was clear: accept the money, and the case goes away. I refused outright.”
But the real drama unfolded offstage. According to Soyombo, smugglers were convinced—by one of their own—that the journalist had taken a colossal N200 million bribe and would no longer resume his investigative work. This lie, spun by a cunning smuggler, became the foundation for a “tax” imposed on other smugglers, who were duped into contributing toward the imaginary hush money.
“I laughed when I heard it,” Soyombo said in a statement. “If you’re a smuggler and you paid someone a contribution towards silencing me, then you were scammed. I would expect smugglers to be too street-wise to fall for such a trick.”
Soyombo’s exposés have shed light on smuggling as a national security threat and a drain on Nigeria’s economy. His work has detailed how Customs officials collude with smugglers, turning border checkpoints into lucrative hubs of corruption.
Among his past investigations was an explosive report revealing how Customs officers facilitated the illegal entry of goods, including contraband, for personal gain.
Despite multiple attempts to buy his silence, Soyombo has remained resolute. Earlier this year, he turned down two bribes: the first, “any amount you want,” was offered in March by a broadcast journalist acting as an intermediary for a smuggling kingpin. The second, in April, came from someone with ties to Customs, who offered “any amount of money to end your campaign against the Customs.” Both offers were promptly rejected.
“I will never take such money, not in this lifetime or the next,” Soyombo declared, emphasising that his work is motivated solely by a commitment to national interest and accountability.
For Soyombo, the alleged scam only underscores the desperation within smuggling circles. His message to defrauded smugglers is blunt, “Go back and reclaim your money!”
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