The Nigeria Police Force, NPF, High Command disclosed on Tuesday that the operatives of the Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC) have captured an Anonymous hacker connected to criminal conspiracy, offenses against the Official Secrets Act, leakage of classified ‘restricted’ documents, acts likely to cause breach of public peace, sedition, fraud, and tax evasion.
The Force Public Relations officer, FPRO, Assistant Commissioner of Police, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi’ disclosed this at a news conference in Abuja.
ACP Adejobi’ stated that this was in an effort to protect national security, maintain public order, identify and apprehend those engaged in criminal activities threatening the stability of the country.
According to him, ” 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.
ACP Adejobi’ explained that “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.
According to him, “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”.
He stated that the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Dr Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun had reaffirmed the commitment of the Force to maintaining peace and also reiterated that the Nigeria Police Force remained vigilant to take swift and severe action against any individual or group threatening the country’s stability by ensuring they face the full force of the law.
The IGP assured members of the public that further investigations would continue to uncover others in the criminal acts
This came just as the Police on Tuesday insisted that the Briton Andrew Wynne linked with terrorism activities in the country declared wanted on Monday remained a wanted person and urged him to surrender himself for investigation in his own interest.
The FPRO said, “the man remains a wanted man, we have enough evidences to prosecute him before a competent court of jurisdiction where the judge will determine his case
“If his true or innocent leader as he claimed that he has many staff working for him, he show up and come and defend himself
According to him, ” I am not aware that I am a fugitive, I am not aware that I am running away from the law, I have been visiting Nigeria for the past 25 years. I have had a bookshop at the NLC offices right at the centre of Abuja for seven years and all that time,
of course the security forces have paid no interest in me.
He said that he was ready to defend himself on WhatsApp or to meet the police at the Nigeria High Commission in London
The FPRO also clarified that nobody was being prosecuted for taking part in the last nationwide end bad governance protest as being claimed in some quarters
He explained that those being prosecuted were arrested for various criminal Offences ranging from terrorism, to conspiracy to commit felony with various enormous evidences against them
