By Ishaya Ibrahim
The police have added investigative journalist David Hundeyin among persons wanted for alleged seditious activities. The latest clampdown appears to be an elaborate clampdown against dissent.
Yesterday, 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters were charged with treason, an offense that attracts the death penalty. Today September 3, the government charged Isaac Bristol, popularly known by his X handle name as PIDOM with sedition, cybercrime and leaking of government documents.
The police have now added David Hundeyin, a virulent critic of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu among its list of persons it claimed were involved in seditious activities.
Hundeyin was the brain behind the report prior to the 2023 election alleging that the Chicago University certificate of the president was fake. He has been in Ghana on political asylum.
A statement by police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, claimed Isaac Bristol, David Hundeyin and one Michael Temidayo Alade were involved in seditious activities.
The statement reads: “In an effort to protect national security, maintain public order, identify and apprehend those engaged in criminal activities threatening the stability of our nation, the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC) have apprehended an Anonymous hacker in connection with alleged criminal conspiracy, offences against the Official Secrets Act, leakage of classified ‘restricted’ documents, acts likely to cause breach of public peace, sedition, fraud, and tax evasion.
“The complaint, filed by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (OSGF), alleged that an anonymous blogger using the Twitter handle @pidomnigeria published and distributed a restricted document on a sensitive matter of national security.
“A discrete investigation was initiated to identify those responsible for the leakage, which led to the identification of Bristol Isaac Tamunobifiri, Michael Temidayo Alade, and David Hundeyin, as suspects in connection with the alleged crimes. The principal suspect, Bristol Isaac Tamunobifiri was apprehended at a hotel in Port Harcourt on Saturday, 5th August 2024, by NPF-NCCC detectives, and in an attempt to resist arrest, the suspect locked himself in a hotel room, smashed his phone, and flushed it down the toilet in an effort 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. Investigations also revealed that the suspect was responsible for leaking a sensitive restricted document generated from the office of the President to the Secretary of the Government of the Federation.
“The suspect had also illegally accessed police-restricted data and posted directives from the office of the Inspector-General of Police, and many other restricted documents with the aim of jeopardizing the security network in Nigeria. It has also been established that the suspect also raised funds through anonymous means to sponsor cyberterrorism 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, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun PhD. NPM., has reaffirmed the commitment of the Force to maintaining peace and also reiterated that the Nigeria Police Force remains vigilant to take swift and severe action against any individual or group threatening the country’s stability, ensuring they face the full force of the law. The IGP assures members of the public that further investigations will continue to uncover all facets of this conspiracy. The suspect has however been charged to court and remanded in prison custody.”
