PRNigeria Seeks Police Action Against NIPSS Officials Over Cybercrime

Chief executive officer (CEO) of PRNigeria, Yushau Shuaib, has petitioned the inspector-general of police, Kayode Egbetokun, urging a thorough investigation into allegations of cybercrime and digital rights violations against officials of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).

In the petition, Shuaib claimed NIPSS officials unlawfully accessed a private editorial email belonging to his media organisation, which he described as a serious breach of privacy and a threat to journalistic integrity.

The petition, dated July 1, 2025, and addressed to the IGP with attention to the deputy inspector-general (DIG) of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), detailed how a confidential PRNigeria internal editorial email mysteriously appeared as an attachment in an official query issued to Shuaib by NIPSS.

Shuaib, who participated in NIPSS’s Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) before his “questionable and vindictive” withdrawal, explained the shocking discovery. During a meeting, Rear Admiral A.A. Mustapha and Professor Elias Wahab, both Directing Staff at NIPSS, informed him of a pending query. To his “utter shock,” the official query later issued by the Acting Director of Studies, Barrister Nima Salman Mann, included an attachment: a private PRNigeria email dated April 25, 2025, titled “Understanding the ‘Blue’ in the Blue Economy: A PR Perspective.”

“This email was never sent to, copied to, or shared with any NIPSS official,” Shuaib asserted in his petition. “Its appearance in an internal disciplinary proceeding indicates an alarming breach of digital privacy and suggests unauthorised surveillance, data intrusion, or unlawful system access.”

Shuaib emphasised the critical nature of PRNigeria’s work, which often involves sensitive, security-related information and relies heavily on anonymous sources assured of digital safety and confidentiality. He warned that “the illegal breach of our internal system by these NIPSS officials not only threatens the foundation of our editorial independence but also endangers the safety and anonymity of our trusted sources.”

The petition highlights potential violations of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024, specifically citing Section 24, which prohibits the unlawful interception of electronic communications.

As evidence, Shuaib stated he has both the official NIPSS query referencing the unlawfully accessed email and a copy of the original confidential email. He expressed readiness to cooperate fully with the investigation, suggesting that “further technical analysis may reveal digital footprints or logs that can assist in identifying the source and method of the unauthorised intrusion.”

Shuaib’s petition urges the Nigeria Police Force to invite Barrister Nima Salman Mann, Rear Admiral A.A. Mustapha, and Professor Elias Wahab for questioning and to conduct a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the unauthorised access and use of his private editorial email.

He also urged identifying and prosecuting all culpable parties under the Cybercrime Act and implementing measures to prevent future violations of digital privacy by public institutions.

“I want you to use your good office to cause a dispassionate investigation into my complaint and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the full wrath of the law,” Shuaib concluded in his petition.