Police accuse PIDOM of leaking classified documents, raising funds to sponsor cyber terrorism

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has accused Bristol Tamunobifiri, popularly known by his X name PIDOM, of leaking classified documents to jeopardise national security.

PIDOM was arraigned on Tuesday, on a nine-count charge filed against him by the inspector-general of police.

He was subsequently remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre pending his bail application.

Addressing a press conference on Tuesday in Abuja, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, police spokesperson, said PIDOM “illegally” accessed restricted data and posted directives from the office of the IGP.

The police spokesperson also claimed that the defendant raised funds to sponsor cyber terrorism.

Adejobi said PIDOM was apprehended in connection with “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,” Adejobi said.

“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.”