PidomNigeria arrested for leaking classified documents – Police

The Nigeria Police Force has accused investigative journalist David Hundeyin and Michael Alade of being accomplices of Bristol Isaac, also known as PIDOMNigeria. PIDOMNigeria is facing charges of leaking classified documents, fraud, sedition, and tax evasion.

The Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said that the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC) arrested PidomNigeria, a whistleblower, after he was linked to a series of alleged crimes, including conspiracy, breaches of the Official Secrets Act, and the leakage of classified documents.

During his arrest, PIDOMNigeria allegedly resisted, destroyed his phone, and flushed it down the toilet to avoid being identified.

Adejobi, who revealed this during a briefing on Tuesday, said the arrest followed a complaint from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), alleging that a restricted document on a sensitive national security issue was leaked and disseminated by an anonymous blogger using the Twitter handle @pidomnigeria.

The breach prompted a covert investigation by NPF-NCCC operatives to trace the source of the leak.

Three suspects were identified during the investigation: Bristol Isaac Tamunobifiri, Michael Temidayo Alade, and David Hundeyin.

The principal suspect, Bristol Isaac Tamunobifiri, was apprehended by detectives at a hotel in Port Harcourt on Saturday, August 5, 2024.

According to the police, Tamunobifiri attempted to resist arrest by locking himself in his hotel room, destroying his phone, and refusing to disclose his phone’s password, claiming he had forgotten it.

Further investigation revealed that Tamunobifiri allegedly leaked sensitive documents originating from the President’s office to the Secretary of the Government of the Federation.

The suspect is also accused of unauthorised access to restricted police data and dissemination of directives from the office of the Inspector-General of Police, which the police believe was aimed at undermining Nigeria’s security infrastructure.

In addition to these allegations, the police uncovered evidence suggesting Tamunobifiri engaged in raising funds through anonymous channels to support cyberterrorism and other related crimes. A detailed forensic analysis of the suspect’s cryptocurrency transactions provided the evidence for these claims.

IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun has reiterated the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to maintaining peace and taking decisive action against individuals or groups who threaten the country’s stability.

He assured the public that the investigation would continue to explore all aspects of the conspiracy and that those involved would face legal consequences.

The suspect, Bristol Isaac Tamunobifiri, has been charged in court and remanded in prison custody as the investigation continues.