Court Remands Whistleblower PIDOM In Prison On Money Laundering And Other Charges

Court Remands Whistleblower PIDOM In Prison On Money Laundering And Other Charges

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja, has ordered the remand of whistleblower, Isaac Bristol Tamunobifiri, also known as PIDOM, in Kuje correctional facility.

PIDOM was arraigned on Tuesday, on a nine-count charge brought against him by the Inspector General of Police, on alleged money laundering, cybercrime, and unlawfully obtaining, retaining and disseminating classified secret documents.

PIDOM, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges levelled against him.

After taking his plea, the defendant’s counsel, Deji Adeyanju, applied for bail which was objected to by the prosecution’s counsel.

After listening to the submissions of the lawyers in the suit, Justice Nwite adjourned till September 23, to rule on the bail application of the defendant while ordering that he be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre.

In a charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/456/2024, PIDOM was accused of mobilising and soliciting support to unduly compel the government to act or abstain from certain acts through the #EndBadGovernance protest, false money-laundering allegations against President Bola Tinubu and unlawfully obtaining, retaining and disseminating classified secret documents in contravention of the official Secret Act 1962.

In the money laundering allegations brought against him, the police claimed that the funds PIDOM obtained were derived from unlawful activities.

The ninth charge on the court document accused PIDOM of tampering with evidence by destroying his Techno Phantom X phone and attempting to flush it down the water system of the hotel where he was arrested.