Yushau A. Shuaib, the CEO of PRNigeria, has formally petitioned the Inspector-General of Police to investigate allegations of cybercrime and digital rights violations by officials of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
The petition, dated July 1, 2025, and sent to the Inspector-General of Police with attention to the Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), explained how a confidential PRNigeria internal editorial email mysteriously appeared as an attachment in an official query issued to Shuaib by NIPSS.
Shuaib revealed that NIPSS officials accessed a private editorial email belonging to his media organisation, which is a breach of privacy and a threat to journalistic integrity.
Shuaib stated that during a meeting, Rear Admiral A.A. Mustapha and Professor Elias Wahab, both Directing Staff at NIPSS, informed him of a pending query. 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 sensitive nature of PRNigeria’s work, which involves security-related information and relies heavily on anonymous sources who are 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 calls on 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.
“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.
Recall Shuaib, who was a participant in NIPSS’s Senior Executive Course (SEC 47) before his “questionable and vindictive” withdrawal. The Police are yet to issue any official response to the petition.
