Cybercrime Allegations: PRNigeria publisher petitions IGP

The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PRNigeria, Yushau Shuaib, has formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), calling for an investigation into alleged cybercrime and digital rights violations by officials of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

In his petition titled, “Cybercrime Allegation: PRNigeria Petitions Police Against NIPSS Officials,” and addressed to IGP Kayode Egbetokun, Mr Shuaib alleged that NIPSS officials unlawfully accessed a private editorial email belonging to PRNigeria, an online media platform.

Mr Shuaib was a participant in NIPSS’s Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) before his withdrawal last month.

NIPSS cited misconduct and disregard for constituted authorities as reasons for withdrawing Mr Shuaib from the programme. In a letter addressed to the public relations institute that nominated Mr Shuaib for the course, the Director General of NIPSS, Ayo Omotayo, stated that the decision, approved by its management, followed a disciplinary committee’s recommendation to expel Mr Shuaib over alleged breaches of confidentiality and institutional guidelines.

The withdrawal letter did not specify the exact offences constituting “misconduct” but it was six weeks after Mr Shuaib was suspended from the course for writing an article on President Tinubu’s reforms.

In his petition to the IGP, Mr Shuaib detailed how a PRNigeria internal editorial email appeared as an attachment in an official query issued to Mr Shuaib by NIPSS.

“This email was never sent to, copied to, or shared with any NIPSS official,” Mr Shuaib said in his petition. “Its appearance in an internal disciplinary proceeding indicates an alarming breach of digital privacy and suggests unauthorised surveillance, data intrusion, or unlawful system access.”

Mr Shuaib emphasised the nature of PRNigeria’s work, which often involves sensitive, security-related information and relies heavily on anonymous sources who are assured of digital safety and confidentiality. He told the IGP that “the illegal breach of our internal system by these NIPSS officials not only threatens the foundation of our editorial independence but also endangers the safety and anonymity of our trusted sources.”

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The petition highlighted potential violations of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended in 2024, specifically citing Section 24, which prohibits the unlawful interception of electronic communications.

Mr Shuaib stated he has both the official NIPSS query referencing the unlawfully accessed email and a copy of the original confidential email. He expressed readiness to cooperate fully with the investigation, suggesting that “further technical analysis may reveal digital footprints or logs that can assist in identifying the source and method of the unauthorised intrusion.”

Mr Shuaib’s petition urged the Nigeria Police Force to question some officials of NIPSS for questioning and to conduct a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the unauthorised access and use of the private editorial email.

He also urged the identification and prosecution of all culpable parties under the Cybercrime Act, in addition to implementing measures to prevent future violations of digital privacy by public institutions.

READ ALSO: PRNigeria founder demands N1 billion from NIPSS over ‘unjust withdrawal’

“I want you to use your good office to cause a dispassionate investigation into my complaint and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the full wrath of the law,” Mr Shuaib concluded in his petition.

When contacted, NIPSS Head of Public Affairs Department, Sola Adeyanju, said: “We will like to state categorically that at no point did anyone accessed his email. NIPSS is the topmost think tank in Nigeria and no official will violate the laws of the country. We are too disciplined to do that.”

“As we have reiterated severally, we will maintain the integrity of the National Institute, which Mr Shuaibu is painstakingly trying to tarnish. As he has sent a petition to the IGP, we shall allow them take their decision on it. We wish him luck.”