THE Police Cybercrime Centre and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have invited the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) and one of its investigative reporters; these invitations are believed to be connected to a report which exposed abuse of office by two Nigerian former inspector-general of police (IGPs) and other senior officers.
Read the update to this report HERE.
The Centre’s executive director, Dayo Aiyetan, and the reporter, Nurudeen Akewushola, will honour the police invitation at noon today accompanied by a team of lawyers, while Aiyetan will be at the ICPC to provide information to help the agency’s investigation into the allegations of corruption in the Police force.
While the Police invitation, according to an invitation letter from the Cybercrime Centre is related to an investigation relating to “cyberstalking and defamation”, the ICPC invitation is to help the agency’s investigation into the allegations in the ICIR report.
In its invitation, the ICPC said it is investigating “a case that bothers on an alleged violation of provisions of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related OffencesAct 2000 and it has become necessary to have recourse to your organisation.”
It is believed that both investigations relate to an investigative report published by The ICIR titled, “Two former IGPs, senior Police officers accused of bribery in shady land sale of designated Police Barracks.”
In its invitation, the Police claimed it is probing a case of cyberstalking and defamation of character based on a petition received by the office of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigative Department, but provided no details.
Recall that on May 15, the ICIR had received an letter from the Cybercrime Centre inviting its managers and Akewushola to appear before it on April 24. The letter written dated April 16 was not delivered to the ICIR until three weeks later long after it was supposed to have honoured the invitation.
In its response to this first invitation, The ICIR raised some concerns to the police, including the disparity in invitation and delivery dates, and the lack of details of the petition which led to investigations for cyberstalking and defamation of character. The ICIR requested that more details of the petition should be provided so that it could adequately prepare for the police interview.
In a second letter from the NPF-NCCC to The ICIR dated May 20, 2024, two copies of which were addressed separately to the reporter and the “managing director,” the discrepancy in the dates was adjusted but details of the allegations against the centre and its reporter were not provided
“The Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre is investigating a case of cyberstalking and defamation of character reported to the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Criminal Investigation Department, Area 10 Abuja, in which your presence is needed.
“In view of the above, you are kindly requested to interview the Director, Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center (NPF-NCCC) plot 625 Mission Road, Diplomatic Zone Central Business District, Abuja, through CSP Omaka Udodinma Chukwu on Monday 27 May, 2024 by 10:00hrs. It is a fact-finding invitation,” the letter read in part.
The ICIR expressed concern that its reporter and managers were invited by the police on allegations cyberstalking in spite of the amendments to the Cybercrime Act in February 2024.
Before its amendment, some parts of the Act, originally established to prohibit cybercrime in Nigeria, had been weaponised against Nigerians, especially online journalists, regardless of the constitutional mandate of the press to perform watchdog responsibilities.
Section 24 of the Cybercrimes Act made provisions for cyberstalking and found persons who intentionally send false messages “causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred, ill will or needless anxiety,” liable.
However, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice ruled against this section, stating that it did not conform with Article Nine of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
The Court ordered an amendment of the law which was carried out in 2024.
Following the initial invitation of The ICIR reporter and its managers by the NPF-NCCC, human rights lawyer Femi Falana said arresting journalists based on cyberstalking and criminal intimidation charges was unlawful, as the section of the Act (Section 24) often relied on by the police had been amended.
Summary of investigation that exposed the former IGPs, other police chiefs
The report revealed that the former IGPs, Ibrahim Idris and Solomon Arase, currently the chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), were accused of receiving N200 million each and a house allocation as incentives for awarding an estate development contract to Corpran International Limited for land originally meant to be used as police barracks.
A former staff member of Corpran International Limited Kalu O. Kalu and a lawyer Francis Mgboh accused both former IGPs of unlawfully approving the contract for the development of the land, which belongs to the Police, without adequate scrutiny, after receiving the bribe.
The allegations currently form a part of ongoing litigation at the Federal High Court in Abuja, and documents obtained by The ICIR, including court affidavits, showed that many other top police officials were also bribed to facilitate the approval of the contract.
Arase, abusing the office he currently occupies, had released a statement through the PSC spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani on Friday, May 17, 2024, saying he had sued three ICIR staff members, including the reporter Akewushola, Executive Director of The ICIR, Dayo Aiyetan, and The ICIR Editor, Victoria Bamas.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.