Investigative journalist, David Hundeyin, has explained why the Nigeria Police tagged him as an accomplice in the case involving whistleblower Isaac Tamunobifiri, also known as PIDOM.
Hundeyin shared his side of the story in an interview with News Central Television on Wednesday.
Hundeyin said that he was labeled as an accomplice because of his commitment to revealing the truth, which some see as a threat. He believes this is part of a wider effort to discredit him internationally, including attempts to put him on an Interpol watchlist.
The journalist also revealed that in 2023, Nigeria’s National Intelligence Agency (NIA) tried to kidnap him several times for exposing wrongdoings by high-level government officials.
He stated that these attempts occurred in Ghana and Kenya before he moved to the United Kingdom for his safety.
“There were several attempts by the National Intelligence Agency to abduct me. They also tried to render me stateless. I even tried to change my country twice. There was an attempt to abduct me from Ghana, then I had to move to Kenya; and when they came for me in Kenya, I ran to the United Kingdom.
“This is part of the price that you have to pay when you decide to say the truth at the time it wasn’t fashionable to do so, especially a regime that sees truth-telling as an affront or threat to it,” Hundeyin said.
Regarding his knowledge of being declared an accomplice in PIDOM’s trial, Hundeyin said he anticipated it and decided to speak out publicly. He pointed out that actions like attempts to hack his devices were clear signs that something suspicious was happening.
Hundeyin claimed that state security was trying to involve him in a criminal investigation to undermine his international refugee status and target political opponents and whistleblowers.
He suggested that these actions were aimed at creating grounds to add him to an Interpol notice list, making his movements difficult.
Beyond Boders further reports that on the condition of PIDOM, Hundeyin alleged that the whistleblower was sprayed with a toxic substance while in police detention and has since struggled with breathing issues.
According to police, PIDOM and his associates, including Hundeyin, were linked to leaking classified documents, fraud, sedition, and tax evasion.
The Force Spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, stated that PIDOM was arrested after a complaint from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
PIDOM was charged with multiple offenses, including money laundering, cybercrime, and sharing secret government documents. He was accused of using his social media account to mobilize support against the Nigerian government with campaigns like #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria.
The police said that when they tried to arrest PIDOM at a hotel, he resisted, destroyed his phone, and flushed it down the toilet before being detained at the Kuje correctional facility in Abuja.
