Nigerian Police Declare Journalist David Hundeyin Wanted In Connection With PIDOM Case
By Unini Chioma -September 3, 2024
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The Nigerian Police Force has declared David Hundeyin, the Editor-in-Chief of *West Africa Weekly*, wanted in connection with the prosecution of Isaac Bristol, who is accused of being the prominent anonymous online whistleblower known as PIDOM Nigeria.
In a statement released on Tuesday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Hundeyin and Michael Temidayo Alade were listed as alleged accomplices of PIDOM. The statement comes after Bristol was arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday and remanded for a minimum of 7 days at Kuje prison.
Bristol faces charges of money laundering, cybercrime, and unlawfully obtaining, retaining, and disseminating classified official secret documents. According to a report by Sahara Reporters, the police have named Hundeyin as a suspect in the same case, while Alade is listed as a police witness set to testify against Bristol.
Hundeyin, an award-winning investigative journalist, is known for his work exposing corruption and human rights abuses by the Nigerian state. His accolades include the 2020 People Journalism Prize for Africa, 2021 and 2022 GRC Anti-FinCrime Reporter of the Year, Most Outstanding Young Person in Journalism at the 2022 Lagos Youth Awards, 2023 Distinguished James Currey Fellowship at the University of Cambridge, Special Investigative Reporting Award at the 2023 PwC Media Excellence Awards, and a finalist position at the 2023 AIJC African Investigative Journalist of the Year Award.
Currently living in exile to avoid persecution by the Nigerian government, Hundeyin has authored two books detailing his confrontation with Nigerian state actors: The Jungle (Abibiman, 2023) and Breaking Point (Abibiman, 2024). Previous attempts by the government to abduct or extradite him have been unsuccessful.
The development has raised concerns among press freedom advocates, who fear that the government’s actions may be an attempt to silence critical voices and suppress investigative journalism in the country. The case against Bristol and the naming of Hundeyin as a wanted suspect have drawn attention to the ongoing challenges faced by journalists and whistleblowers in Nigeria.