Fisayo Soyombo is arguably the most prominent investigative journalist in Nigeria currently. Unlike news anchors who report from a studio, Soyombo is known for "immersion journalism"—going undercover, often at great personal risk, to live the stories he reports. He is the founder of the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ).

​His Most Famous Investigations

​Soyombo’s reputation is built on a series of dangerous undercover missions where he exposes systemic rot by becoming a victim of it. Two of his most famous reports include:

​The Prison Investigation (2019): In his most widely cited work, Soyombo adopted a pseudonym ("Ojo Olajumoke") and deliberately got himself arrested. He spent five days in a police cell and eight days as an inmate in Ikoyi Prison (now a Correctional Centre). He wore a hidden camera to document drug abuse, sodomy, and bribery within the prison system, revealing how prison officials profited from the inmates' misery.

​The "Stolen" Vehicle Journey: To test the security of Nigerian roads, he drove a vehicle that was flagged as "stolen" from Abuja to Lagos. He passed through 86 different police checkpoints. Rather than being stopped or arrested for driving a stolen car, he was able to bribe his way through almost every single checkpoint, exposing the deep corruption in highway policing.

​Yaba "Left" Undercover: He checked himself into the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital in Yaba, Lagos, as a patient for three weeks. His report exposed the decrepit facilities and the poor treatment of patients with mental health struggles.

​Professional Background

​Before establishing his own platform (FIJ), Soyombo held top editorial positions at some of Nigeria's biggest online news platforms.

​He was the pioneer Editor of TheCable.

​He served as the Managing Editor of Sahara Reporters.

​He edited the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR).

​Interestingly, he did not study Mass Communication in university; he holds a degree in Animal Science from the University of Ibadan.

​Why He Matters Today

​In a media landscape sometimes criticized for being too close to politicians, Soyombo represents the "watchdog" era of journalism. His work often forces the government to issue statements or launch probes (such as the prison reforms initiated after his Ikoyi report). He has won multiple awards, including the Wole Soyinka Award for Investigative Reporting (three times), and remains a critical voice on social justice and anti-corruption in Nigeria.