Nigerian investigative journalist David Hundeyin has alleged that the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) attempted to unlawfully abduct him from a foreign country.
Hundeyin made this assertion while responding to his recent declaration as a wanted person by Nigerian security authorities.
Speaking on News Central TV, Hundeyin expressed his frustration, stating that this latest development is part of the cost of speaking out, especially when it challenges the status quo.
The police have stated that Hundeyin, along with his associate Michael Temidayo Alade, is being pursued for allegedly leaking classified documents, a violation of the Official Secret Act. The police have indicated that the two are linked to Bristol Isaac, known as PIDOMNigeria on X, who was recently apprehended by the Nigerian Police National Cybercrime Centre.
In his television interview, Hundeyin said, “I’m fine, perfectly fine. This isn’t the first time the Nigerian state has targeted me in such a manner. Last year, there was a high-level attempt by the National Intelligence Agency to illegally abduct me from a foreign country.”
He continued, “It’s been worse than this. I’ve faced other attempts to render me stateless. Over the past year, I’ve had to relocate twice. After the attempt to abduct me from Ghana, I fled to Kenya. When they tried to make me stateless in Kenya, I moved to the UK.”
Hundeyin concluded, “This is the reality when you choose to tell the truth, especially when it’s unpopular or confronts a regime that views truth-telling as a threat. This is the price one pays.”