Isaac Bristol, known as the suspected whistleblower PIDOMNigeria, who has been in custody since August 5, faces imminent transfer to a clandestine detention site operated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
This move comes after Bristol was denied access to his family, friends, and legal representatives.
On Saturday, Deji Adeyanju, a member of Bristol’s legal team, was turned away due to a “new directive” from the National Cybercrime Centre (NCCC). This decision has severely hampered Bristol’s access to essential items like food and toiletries, and has cut off his communication with the outside world.
Sources close to the situation have informed West Africa Weekly that plans are underway to transfer PIDOM to a secret location under cover of darkness. This step follows growing public outrage over his unlawful detention and mistreatment. The source indicated that, should he survive the transfer, PIDOM may be held incommunicado, further infringing on his legal rights.
Reports suggest that the Office of the National Security Adviser plans to charge Bristol with threats to national security, branding him a “kidnapper.” This is despite the fact that PIDOM was initially abducted by 15 armed individuals and subjected to solitary confinement and severe neglect at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) in Abuja, marking a blatant abuse of his fundamental rights.
Public outcry has surged, with many calling for the immediate and unconditional release of PIDOM and the 2,000 #EndBadGovernance protesters also detained for demonstrating against the current administration’s handling of hunger and governance issues.
Activists and supporters assert that there are no grounds for holding Isaac Bristol Tamunobiefiri, and demand his swift release from the FCID’s custody. They argue that both PIDOM and the #EndBadGovernance protesters are innocent and should be freed without delay.
