Exclusive: Like Jayson Blair like Fisayo Soyombo

By Simon, A. FAKEYE

About twenty-one years ago, in 2003, the then 152-year old New York Times owned up an act of journalistic fraud committed by Jayson Blair, 27, one of its 375 staff. The American newspaper revealed that Blair “fabricated comments, concocted scenes, lifted material from other newspapers and wire services”. The newspaper with more than ten million subscribers further stated that his former reporter was fond of selecting details from photographs to create the impression he had been somewhere or seen someone, when he had not; that Blair faked stories from Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio and Texas without ever leaving New York, using a cell phone and laptop computer to disguise his whereabouts and deceive his bosses.

"Five Times reporters, two researchers and three editors, . . . 'ran a 14,000-word front-page story, entitled 'Deceptions in a Reporter's Work', in 36 stories of the 73 articles Blair had written for the newspaper", some of which found its place on the cover page of the daily newspaper following "plagiarism lodged by The San Antonio Express-News".
The New York Times was not alone in such mess; Janet Cooke (reporter) has caused similar embarrassment to Washington Post in 1981 when the Newspaper has to return a Pulitzer Prize over the invention of an 8-year-old heroin addict. Also, Stephen Glass of the New Republic published 27 fabricated articles.

In a like manner, the simple and factual reactions of Chief Ibrahim Egungbohun (IBD Dende) to defamatory comments by FIJ has raised pertinent questions against the accuracy and authenticity of FIJ reports, hence, the publishing herein of the result of a study conducted by RazorTimes which focused primarily on the allegations targeted on the top echelon of Nigeria Customs Service and an innocent business man, advocate of Peace and Community Leader, Chief Ibrahim Dende Egungbohun; the study spotted varied disconnections and inaccuracies which spontaneously calls for an unbiased review of FIJ investigative report titled "Undercover as Smuggler" for fabricated comments, concocted scenes, lifted material from other newspapers, selected details from still and moving pictures as well as insertion of contradictory statements and fake stories.

*Fabricated Comment: IBD Hotel built with proceeds of smuggling*
The statement that “IBD International Hotel, Ilaro, well-known by all and sundry to have been built with proceeds of smuggling” by Mr Fisayo Soyombo would not stand the test of accuracy and truth; the piece of land which contained the first phase of the Hotel (5-Room) was purchased with a credit facility, the construction was carried out with money legitimately earned while the second phase was built with revenue generated when two soccer clubs from Osogbo, Osun State occupied the Hotel rooms for a whole year as diligently facilitated and prudently managed by the pioneer female manager. He tagged Ilaro as a “town renowned among smugglers” whereas there are three popular towns (Obelle, Ohunbe, Oja-Odan) ahead of Ilaro in terms of bubbling and proximity to business activities along the border corridor. Against his fabricated comment on the roads en route Republic of Benin, be it tarred, untarred, dusty brown or not, driving against traffic is not applicable, hence the question mark on his next paragraph where he said, “in a matter of minutes, we cross to the opposite lane, driving against traffic for another minute before vanishing into another footpath by Foursquare Bus Stop (which footpath?), away from the glare of the village (which village around that axis?). This doesn’t add up! Among others is this one: “His instruction is that all three of us should converge on a settlement called Ona-Egbo, some five kilometres from Ilaro Polytechnic at the centre of Ilaro”. Firstly, FPI is not at the Centre of Ilaro. Secondly, Ona-Egbo, about 2km to FPI is not a settlement.

*Concocted Scene: Adja-Quere housing hordes of stalls filled to the brim with ready-for-smuggling rice*
The mileage, landscape and transaction as published by FIJ Fisayo Soyombo on its portal on February 21, 2024, were not in agreement with the structure of Adja-Quere's market square. Soyombo described the scene thus, “in a little over an hour, Jide and I arrive at a Beninese market in Adja-Ouere housing hordes of stalls filled to the brim with ready-for-smuggling rice. Many of the storesare locked, only specifically opened when a smuggler shows up to move goods. Inside the one patronised by Alaba, I see tens of thousands of rice bags delicately stacked on one another in multiples of twenties. Going by the description above, it shows clearly that the investigator didn't know the location of Adja-Quere's market and Ona-Egbo located in both Plateau District of Benin Republic and Yewa North LGA, Ogun State, SouthWest Nigeria respectively, which implies that Mr Fisayo Soyombo hadn’t visit the location. For fact-check, we challenge any fact-finding patriotic individual to visit Adja-Quere, about 10km journey from Obelle town (Nigeria borderline with Republic of Benin).

*Lifted Material from Other Newspaper: Gun running allegation*
Mr Fisayo Soyombo lifted a content from an online platform (Society Now). The content which borders on gun running did not provide any logical reference like photograph of the guns, types and serial number of the guns, the location of the interception, names of suspects et cetera. At least, FIJ careless about the accuracy of the lifted allegation and thereafter published the defamatory material without any iota of regard for the Code of Ethics For Nigerian Journalists.*

*Selected Details from Photographs to Create the Impression He Had Been Somewhere or Seen Someone, When He Had Not: Video of IBD’s Confrontation with Customs*
The details of the video differs with the transcript produced by FIJ Fisayo Soyombo; It says the controversial contraband belonged to Chief Egungbohun while Compt Ejigbunnu debunked it by saying the seized item was not his. The Comptroller said it would be wrong for anybody to ask any CP to call the IGP in that situation, an illustration that nullified the insinuation by FIJ that the Wale mentioned by Chief Egungbohun was the CGC. The FIJ logo imprinted on the video says it all as Mr Fisayo Soyombo or any of his reporter were not at the scene; He had selected the details of the video to create impression that he had been at the scene. Just as the Times described one of Blair’s false reports, Soyombo’s reported “image was so compelling, the words so haunting”. The newspaper wrote in its edition of May 11, 2003 that “he used these techniques to write falsely about emotionally charged moments in recent history, . . . His tools of deceit were a cellphone and a laptop computer — which allowed him to blur his true whereabouts — as well as round-the-clock access to databases of news articles from which he stole.

*Face-Saving: From Allegation to Participation, then Revelation*
It will be recalled that within a span of six weeks; February 21 to April 2, 2024, Mr Fisayo Soyombo used three different titles for his reports. He used ALLEGATION as his first point of call provoked by name-calling as if jury of a competent court was given its verdict. The law of evidence is that “he who alleges the existence of facts must prove so” (Section 101 of Evidence Act). It’s worrisome that FIJ Fisayo Soyombo wouldn't present a well-grounded evidence-beyond every reasonable doubt-that Chief Ibrahim Egungbohun indulges in smuggling. He referred to Chief Ibrahim Dende Egungbohun as “notorious smuggler” in “gun running” and the Nigeria Customs Service as accomplice in the “illicit” business. Facts have proved otherwise. He wrote that the “trailers he saw moving stuff unchecked labelled Headquarters Movement”. He alleged that Customs smuggled motorcycles and tramadol meant for terrorists and cleared them by Chief Egungbohun. None of such things ever happened. Soyombo said Three 2024 Toyota Land Cruisers and Four White Coaster Buses were smuggled into Lagos by Chief Egungbohun. At that particular time, the victim was in Abuja. The Sunday Ibadan he said allegedly smuggled guns and bullets wrapped like turkey for movement to the East was in London at the material time.

*Participant in Prevarication:* Mr Soyombo came up with his second title cum defensive term during the Channel Television interview when he said, he “PARTICIPATED” in the smuggling and that Jide who gave him information was talking to a “fellow smuggler”. Unlike Elizabeth Cochran Seaman (Nellie Bly being her pen name) the inventor of investigative journalism, who would always substantiate her claims, Mr Soyombo said, he didn’t need to provide any evidences. The truth is that to succeed in investigative journalism, "receipts, documents, photos, videos" and even notes are essential. So, whether he participated in the smuggling or not, whether Jide spoke with a fellow smuggler or not, it's disturbing that a multi-award winning journalist couldn't show Nigerians the receipt of his transaction? When participated in any transaction, evidence of participation is obtainable. He, however, coined the third defensive term when he said his reports were revelations.

*Revelation by FIJ Fisayo Soyombo:* The popular REVELATION (apokalypsis) we know was written at the Island of Patmos and completed sometimes in 96 BCE by John, probably “the Apostle”. This Book of Revelation was more of prophetic visions, factual and its substances are verifiable for people of Christ’s faith. An instance could be found in Chapter 2:8 New International Version (NIV) where Jesus Christ was coded as the First and the Last. Should the statement portents ambiguity to anyone of little faith, based on the premise that all Christians accept as evidential proof the foundational doctrine of the resurrection of their Lord and Saviour, John added, "who died and came to life again". Unlike FIJ Fisayo Soyombo who in one of his revelations revealed that Chief Ibrahim Egungbohun smuggled Three 2024 Toyota Land Cruisers and Four White Coaster Buses into Lagos, without a single evidential link to his target; be it photograph or video. Investigative journalism is about digging out concealed truth that are readily evidential.

*The Contradictory Statement:*
Another writer on Jayson Blair, Ed Caesar of Independent in his feature titled, “Jayson Blair: The man who fooled America'', says that the "ability to seem one thing and be another is why most descriptions of Blair are two word terms, of which "liar Emeritus" and "serial fabulist" are only the most memorable. To pin down this jumble of contradictions to a single signifier is rather to miss the point of Jayson Blair. But there is a word, which the British don't use, that just about does it: storied. It means mythic, fabled - a product, and producer of stories. . . . Jayson Blair is storied. Somewhere in his development, Blair lost sight of the connection between facts and words, and it debilitates him still", Ceaser stated.

The contradictory nature of FIJ Fisayo Soyombo’s report put him in the same category with Jayson Blair. If truly the Nigeria Customs officers were not functional as he alleged that “Jide succeeded without the faintest security resistance, why did he need to move his contraband through bush path? Meanwhile, he contradicted himself further when he said, “Some Customs officers had raided a smuggling safe house in Oja-Odan, *trucking away tons of seized goods.* Alaba feared we could be *victims of the next raid. I give them the nod to relocate the bags to Ifo and resell them at a slight loss”.

In view of the facts obtainable as enumerated in this study, it appears that Mr. Fisayo Soyombo may never have engaged in any investigative journalism from which he published the “Undercover as Smuggler”, rather, he had relied heavily on hearsay as been peddled by illiterate rumour mongers (FIJ’s informants) who lack the basic knowledge of statutory partnership between the Nigeria Customs Service and the Licensed Freight Clearing & Forwarders, to concoct and churn out lies and fake news as its investigative report, portraying the top echelon of Nigeria Customs Service and Chief Ibrahim Egungbohun-a leading stakeholder in the border community-as smugglers.

The import of this study is to establish the substance of the FIJ report but it failed the test of accuracy; the report was based (like Mr Jayson Blair's reports) on fabricated comments, concocted scenes, lifted material from other newspapers, selected details from still and moving pictures as well as insertion of contradictory statements.

*Recommendation:*
While we are not condemning his findings about other people, the fact that all his reports about Chief Ibrahim Egungbohun (IBD Dende) failed the integrity test (inaccurate) tells volume about the credibility of his other investigative reports. Hence, this undoubtedly calls for revision of FIJ investigative reports, Mr Fisayo Soyombo’s findings in particular. If under the guise of freedom of information or investigative journalism, anybody can wake up and begin to tarnish the enviable image of law-abiding individuals, Nigeria can never be fine for it.
While self-censorship remains the best option for the media, going by this trend, it’s high time the Nigeria Press Council (NPC) as a matter of urgency be given a complete set of functional teeth (not as a toothless dog) to check erring journalists/reporters as a way of maintaining credibility of the media space in Nigeria.

**CODE OF ETHICS:* 2. Accuracy and Fairness: (ii.) A journalist should refrain from publishing inaccurate and misleading information. Where such information has been in advertently published, prompt correction should be made. A journalist must hold the reply as a cardinal rule of practice. (iii.) In the course of his duties, a journalist should strive to separate facts from conjecture and comment.