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Some public interest leaks from “PIDOM” that may have embarrassed the FG

Last year @PIDOMNigeriaa whistleblower and microblogger on X, has published sensational public interest documents exposing official corruption and misconduct within the government.

In addition to leaking official documents that gave Nigerians insight into the mismanagement of public funds, PIDOM also published a series of secret police radio memos, some of which discussed the Nigerian police's intention to crack down on dissent.

This put him on the radar of the security authorities. On August 5, the police arrested him. Since his arrest, he has been living in appalling conditions and is unable to comply with the police's demands. strict conditions for the administrative deposit.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Handcuffed for days, thrown in a hole, 6 days in solitary confinement… How the police dehumanized PIDOMNigeria

FIJ highlights some of the most important documents that PIDOM has published in the past. Some have been confirmed as true by the government, others have received no official response.

UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

On October 15, he tweeted an internal memo showing that the president and his entourage spent over $500,000 on accommodations and related incidents while attending the 78th United Nations General Assembly in London.

“Tinubu spent the whopping sum of Four Hundred and Twenty-two Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty United States Dollars (US$422,820) on hotel reservations for himself and his closest aides alone in just seven days at the just concluded United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). This amounts to 422,820,000 million naira in seven days,” PIDOM wrote.

“From September 16 to September 23, 2023. Despite the fact that there is a Nigerian House in New York, which receives taxpayers' money annually for its maintenance. As if that wasn't bad enough, he spent an additional $84,564,000 on utilities. That's equivalent to 84,564,000 million naira.”

On August 20, 10 months after PIDOM’s revelation, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s spokesperson and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Action, confirmed that officials wasted $500,000 during the said UN event and promised to set up a portal at the next event to ensure accountability.

“NO PROTEST WILL BE ALLOWED”

On July 29, the microblogger revealed a secret police document instructing all police units to mobilize and prevent the #EndBadGovernance protest, a mass popular action against the cost of living crisis. The document bore the reference number DTO/081000/07/2024.

“People planning the 2024 'END BAD GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA' protest, be informed that the Nigeria Police @PoliceNG is planning something bad for you. They have said no protests of any kind shall be allowed during this period. See secret signal below. Please repost en masse and rethink your strategy. I know this post of mine will mean trouble for me but I am not sending them their daddy,” he tweeted along with the document.

After days of intensive discussions with stakeholders and fierce media reactions, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, backtracked and promised to protect the protesters.

90 billion Naira subsidy payment for Hajj

PIDOM also revealed through his account on February 15 the government's plan to release over 24 billion naira to subsidise the pilgrimage of some Muslims to Saudi Arabia. The Federal Ministry of Finance had asked Tinubu to authorise the release of the money for this purpose.

A few months later, he released another memo stating that the pilgrimage allowance had been increased to 90 billion naira and revealed some undisclosed details about the payment.

“The 90 billion naira Tinubu approved to subsidise the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage came from a vote of the whole service. Code: 23050119. There was no budgetary provision for it, nor did the National Assembly approve it. But it was approved. Chai! Christians, prepare for your own fall,” he tweeted.

ALSO READ: EXCLUSIVE: Why NPF-NCCC and FCID tracked and abducted “PIDOMNigeria”

The corresponding document dated February 21 came from the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning.

Fiji had previously reported that police are accusing him of violating Nigeria's Official Secrets Act (OSA) and committing espionage, treason and computer fraud.

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