Investigations have revealed the reasons behind the Nigeria Police Force’s (NPF) abduction and detention of Isaac Bristol, a Rivers State resident believed to be the person behind the @PIDOMNIGERIA handle.
A security source, privy to the operations of the police and the office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), spoke on condition of anonymity, stating that the police are accusing Isaac of terrorism financing and espionage.
The @PIDOMNIGERIA account regularly publishes leaks indicting the government. However, on Thursday, Nigerian journalist David Hundeyin shared details of a conversation he had with someone claiming to be an associate of the detainee. This person, according to Hundeyin, reached out via @PIDOMNIGERIA’s X account and claimed that the police arrested Isaac on August 5.
“The police received petitions against him, but it was the Nigeria Police Force National Cyber Crime Centre (NPF-NCCC) that tracked and apprehended him,” a source told FIJ. “From the petitions, the biggest allegations against him are a breach of the Official Secrets Act (OSA) and terrorism financing.”
“They also accused him of espionage, treasonable felony, computer wire fraud, and unauthorized removal of classified documents.”
The OSA forbids the unauthorized transmission of any information deemed by any government branch as prejudicial to the security of Nigeria.
The insider who spoke with FIJ stated that the leaks published via PIDOMNIGERIA’s X handle are considered by the government to violate this act, putting him on the radar of Nuhu Ribadu, the NSA.
“He is not in the custody of the NSA, but the NSA is investigating him,” the insider added. “Right now, he is at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) at the behest of the NPF-NCCC, and every security agency will want a bite of the cookie now that they know where he is.”
In early August, the NSA’s office claimed it intercepted N83 billion in cryptocurrency—funds it said were intended to fund the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest.
One of the crypto accounts allegedly linked to this effort was associated with @PIDOMNIGERIA, according to FIJ’s information.