Reacting to the recent arrest report of PIDOMNigeria, an online Journalist and whistleblower, Peter Obi considered the situation as a serious concern. Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, said that Nigerian investigative journalists are currently being harassed, taken captive, detained, and exposed to other severe treatment by government agents which he deemed extremely unsettling and intolerable. He remarked that if such acts persist, Nigeria faces the risk of turning into a “Banana Republic” where journalists “are suppressed or disappear for only doing their job.”
Obi noted that the right to obtain information about governmental actions and decision-making is closely intertwined with the fundamental right to free expression. The disturbing trend of information suppression by government agents for matters unrelated to National Security or interest highlights the imperative necessity for the Freedom of Information Bill. Laws safeguarding freedom of expression in democracies also protect investigative journalists, who are essential to the pursuit of truth. Obi claimed that in light of his whereabouts and any suspected misconduct, Nigerian authorities ought to be held responsible.
Bristol was detained for allegedly violating cyber-related laws.
David Hundeyin, a fellow investigative journalist, disclosed that the anonymous whistleblower on X who tweets under the handle #PIDOMNIGERIA, is still alive and in police detention and will be charged in court. Following significant public pressure and publications regarding the whereabouts of the whistleblower, Hundeyin revealed in an update that the Nigerian Police Force has verified that PIDOM Nigeria is being held at the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Abuja. Additionally, according to the police, PIDOMNigeria was detained for allegedly violating certain cyber-related laws and damaging the integrity of government operations by disclosing confidential material.
PIDOM, an anonymous Nigerian whistleblower reportedly identified as Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya, has been well-known over the last four years as a result of a number of high-profile document leaks and online reports that have exposed various branches and apparatuses of the country’s government at their heinous, reprehensible worst. According to David Hundeyin, a alleged associate of PIDOM who contacted him revealed that PIDOM was arrested on August 5 in Port Harcourt and then moved to the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja, where he is currently under the supervision of the National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC).
Several Nigerians are advocating for PIDOM’s release.
According to reports, the investigative journalist spent six days without food in solitary detention at the Force Criminal Investigative Department (FCID) while handcuffed. The National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC) then issued an order restricting him the access to contact with his family, friends, and attorney. Following their son’s unjustified and cruel detention by the Nigeria Police, the family of Isaac Tamunoibifiri Bristol-Alagbariya, along with Ijaw veterans and stakeholders, have demanded for their son’s prompt and unequivocal freedom.
As the news went public, several Nigerians have been advocating for the release of the online whistleblower, with hashtag like #freepidom #freePIDOMNIGERIA seen trending on X. In an interview with News Central, Human Rights attorney Mojirayo Ogunlana emphasizes her mistrust of the administration, claiming that actions like the PIDOM arrest go against democratic principles. Isaac Bristol, the detained individual whom the Nigerian police claim is the primary handler of the anonymous X whistleblower handle PIDOMNigeria, has filed an ex parte motion at the Federal High Court Abuja, along with five other people and the Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police, FCT Abuja, and the Attorney General of the Federation.
Related Article: Ensure journalists, defenders are safe–ISHR
The application requested that the court order the Respondents to produce Bristol so that an investigation into the events leading up to his arrest and incarceration since August 5, 2024, might be conducted. As per the motion’s justification, Bristol is a “law-abiding citizen of Nigeria who enjoys the protection of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) as well as other applicable laws, particularly the provisions of Sections 32(4) and 36(5) of the Constitution as well as Section 32 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act 2015.