Over the past year, @PIDOMNigeria, a whistleblower and micro-blogger on X, has released high-profile public-interest documents exposing official corruption and misconduct within Tinubu’s government.
Aside from leaking official documents that offered Nigerians insight into the mismanagement of public funds, PIDOM also shared a series of secret police memos, sometimes revealing the Nigeria Police Force’s plans to suppress dissent.
These actions caught the attention of security agencies. On August 5, the police arrested him, and since then, he has been subjected to harsh conditions, unable to meet the strict terms of administrative bail set by the police.
FIJ highlights some of the significant documents PIDOM has released in the past. While some of these documents have been confirmed as authentic by the government, others have not received any official response.
UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
On October 15, PIDOM tweeted an internal memo revealing that the president and his entourage of aides spent over $500,000 on accommodation and related expenses during their attendance at the 78th United Nations General Assembly in London.
“How Tinubu spent a whopping sum of four hundred and twenty-two thousand, eight hundred and twenty US dollars ($422,820) on hotel reservations for him and his close aides alone in just 7 days, at the just concluded United Nations General Assembly UNGA. An equivalent of 422,820,000 million naira in 7 days,” PIDOM wrote.
“From 16th of September to 23rd of September 2023. Despite the fact that there is a Nigerian House in New York, where taxpayers money are budgeted annually to maintain. As if that is not bad enough, he also spent an additional eighty-four thousand, five hundred and sixty-four US dollars ($84,564) on incidentals. An equivalent of 84,564,000 million naira.”
On August 20, ten months after PIDOM’s revelation, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu’s spokesperson and special presidential envoy on climate action, confirmed that officials had indeed wasted $500,000 during the UN event. He also promised to establish a portal to ensure accountability at the upcoming event.
“NO PROTEST WILL BE ALLOWED”
On July 29, the micro-blogger exposed a secret police document instructing all police units to mobilize and prevent the #EndBadGovernance protest, a mass demonstration against the rising cost of living, from taking place. The document was labeled with reference number DTO/081000/07/2024.
“People planning the ‘END BAD GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA’ 2024 protest, be informed that the Nigerian police @PoliceNG is planning something bad for you guys. They said that no form of protest must be allowed during this period. See secret signal below. Please repost massively and restrategise. I know this post of mine will cause trouble for me, but I no send their papa,” he tweeted along with the document.
After days of intense engagement with advocacy groups and media backlash, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun reversed his stance, promising that the protesters would be protected.
N90 BILLION HAJJ SUBSIDY PAYMENT
On February 15, PIDOM disclosed via his handle that the government planned to release over N24 billion to subsidize the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia for some Muslims. The Federal Ministry of Finance had requested President Tinubu’s approval to release the funds for this purpose.
A few months later, he published another memo showing the pilgrimage subsidy had been increased to N90 billion; he also revealed some undisclosed details about the payment.
“The 90 billion naira Tinubu approved for 2024 Hajj pilgrimage subsidy was sourced from the service-wide vote. Code: 23050119. There was no budgetary provision for it, neither did the National Assembly appropriate it. But it was approved. Chai! Christians get ready for your own,” his tweet read.
The document, dated February 21, originated from the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning.
Earlier, FIJ reported that the police are accusing PIDOM of violating Nigeria’s Official Secrets Act (OSA), as well as committing espionage, treasonable felony, and computer wire fraud.
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