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ABUJA, NIGERIA — The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has faulted the Nigeria Police Force and the National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) over what it described as prolonged silence and inaction on petitions alleging cybercrime, unlawful interception of private communications and data protection breaches involving a senior naval officer and officials of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
The pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group said more than one year after the petitions were submitted, neither the police nor the NDPC had publicly disclosed the status of their investigations or taken visible steps to address the allegations.
In a statement issued on August 30, 2026, HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, warned that the continued delay could undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s enforcement of cybercrime and data protection laws.
According to the organisation, the petitions were submitted on July 1, 2025, by the Publisher of PRNigeria, Alhaji Yushau A. Shuaib, who alleged that his private digital correspondence and those of his organisation were accessed, intercepted and used without authorisation during disciplinary proceedings at NIPSS.
HURIWA said the allegations named Barrister Nima Salman Mann, Rear Admiral Abubakar Abdullahi Mustapha and Professor Elias Wahab as individuals allegedly connected to the incident.
The organisation stressed that the allegations, if established through a proper investigation, could raise serious violations under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and other applicable cybersecurity laws.
It said the matter could have wider implications for privacy rights, media source confidentiality, institutional data governance and public trust in government institutions.
HURIWA consequently called on the NDPC, headed by its National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, to provide clarity on the status of the petition, disclose any interim findings and explain measures being taken to prevent similar incidents in public institutions.
The association said the controversy had moved beyond an individual grievance and had become a test of Nigeria’s willingness and capacity to enforce its data protection regime within government institutions.
HURIWA also urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, to direct the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) to expedite its investigation into the alleged cybercrime.
The rights group recalled that a similar concern had been raised publicly on April 6, 2026, over the perceived delay in acting on the petition despite what it described as evidence submitted to investigators.
It alleged that the police had yet to invite or question the individuals named in the petition, particularly Rear Admiral Mustapha, whom it identified as central to allegations involving intimidation, institutional bullying and unlawful interception of private correspondence.
The organisation also raised questions over a possible conflict of interest arising from institutional affiliations.
According to HURIWA, Barrister Mann and Rear Admiral Mustapha are members of the National Institute (mni), while former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Sadiq Idris Abubakar, who previously supervised the FCID, is also associated with the institution.
HURIWA said any perception that institutional affiliations could influence the handling of a criminal petition would be damaging to public confidence in law enforcement and the principle of equality before the law.
The association further linked the renewed public interest in the controversy to the publication of Shuaib’s memoir, MNI Versus MNIPR in NIPSS: Tackling Institutional Bullying, which chronicles his experience during the 2025 Senior Executive Course at NIPSS.
According to HURIWA, the memoir contains allegations of institutional intimidation and identifies Rear Admiral Mustapha as a central figure in events surrounding Shuaib’s withdrawal from the programme.
The rights group, however, stressed that the publication of the memoir and the underlying civil dispute should not be allowed to obscure the separate allegations of cybercrime and unlawful data access.
It maintained that any alleged criminal conduct should be subjected to an independent investigation based on evidence and due process.
“An elementary principle of law is that the existence of a civil suit does not bar criminal investigation or prosecution where criminal offences are alleged,” HURIWA stated.
The organisation therefore called on the police to invite all persons named in the petitions for questioning in accordance with due process and urged the NDPC to promptly and transparently investigate the alleged data protection violations.
HURIWA warned that continued inaction could deepen perceptions of selective justice and further weaken public confidence in Nigeria’s law enforcement and data protection institutions.
The group reaffirmed its commitment to accountability, the rule of law and the strengthening of institutional safeguards for digital privacy and cybersecurity in Nigeria.
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