The police have named popular investigative journalist David Hundeyin and one Michael Alade as accomplices of Bristol Isaac, aka PIDOMNigeria in cybercrimes.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday (yesterday, September 3), Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi said PIDOMNigeria had been wanted by the police for “leaking classified and restricted documents, fraud, sedition and tax evasion,” among others, claiming that PIDOM was arrested following a petition from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
According to Adejobi, when operatives of the National Cybercrime Centre stormed PIDOM’s hotel room in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, he resisted arrest, locked himself up, destroyed his phone and flushed it down the toilet.
“Operatives of the Nigerian Police National Cybercrime Center have apprehended an anonymous hacker in connection with alleged criminal conspiracy, offences against the Official Secret Act, leakage of classified and restricted documents, acts likely to cause a breach of the public peace, sedition, fraud, and tax evasion,” Adejobi announced.
“The discreet investigation was initiated to identify those responsible for the leakage, which led to the identification of Bristol Isaac, Michael Temidayo Alade and David Hundeyin who are suspects in connection with the alleged crimes.
“The principal suspect, Bristol Isaac, was apprehended by National Cybercrime Center detectives at a hotel in Port Harcourt where he attempted to resist arrest.”
Continuing, Adejobi explained: “The suspect locked himself in the hotel room, smashed his phone, and flushed it down the toilet to destroy evidence. He also refused to surrender his phone’s password, claiming he had forgotten it, thereby concealing information. Subsequent investigations after his arrest revealed several suspicious activities between the principal suspect and his accomplices.
“It has also been established that the suspect also raised funds through anonymous means to sponsor cyber terrorism and other related crimes.
“Evidence of this was derived after critical forensic analysis of the suspect’s crypto wallet transactions. The Inspector General of Police, IG Kayode Egbetokun, has reaffirmed the commitment of the force to maintaining peace and also reiterated that the Nigerian police force remains vigilant to take strict and severe action against any individual or group threatening the country’s stability, ensuring they face the full force of the law.”
Adejobi also said the suspect PIDOM had illegally accessed police-restricted document data, claiming that investigations also revealed that the suspect was responsible for leaking a sensitive restricted document generated from the Office of the President to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“The suspect had also illegally accessed police-restricted document data and posted directives from the Office of the Inspector General of Police and many other restricted documents to jeopardize the security network in Nigeria,” the police further claimed.
“The complaints filed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation alleged that an anonymous blogger using the Twitter handle at PIDOM Nigeria published and distributed a restricted document on a sensitive matter of national security.”
Adejobi said PIDOM’s arrest was done to protect national security and maintain public order.
“So the Nigerian Police National Cybercrime Center has done well in this regard to identify this man and subsequently apprehended the man. To protect national security, maintain public order, and identify and apprehend those engaged in criminal activities threatening the stability of our nation,” the PPRO said.
When asked to clarify if the police are on the trail of Hundeyin and Alade, Adejobi said: I’m sure they are working assiduously to see how they can get them. Perhaps they must have sent an invitation letter to them. Or they must have contacted them one way or the other. I don’t know the plan the team has.
“But I’m sure since they have fingered them, they want to interrogate them for further action. The police will do the needful to make sure everyone involved in such crimes will be brought to book after thorough interrogation and investigation.”
It would be recalled that Hundeyin had raised the alarm on his X handle on the disappearance of PIDOM, sharing screenshots of messages from an unidentified associate of PIDOM’s, who informed him about PIDOM’s plight. (The Sun).
