By Omolola Ameen
Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre, have arrested three persons in connection with a case of conspiracy, cyberstalking, and threat to life.
Muyiwa Adejobi, the Force Police Public Relations Officer, paraded the suspects in Abuja.
The Force received a petition at the instance of Dr Seye Oladejo, on a threat to life and blackmailing schemes operating in the guise of microblogging pages.
The suspects are Adebukola Kolapo, Nnedum Micheal Somtomchukwu and Isaac Akpokighe, all males of ages 27, 25 and 30 respectively are members of a syndicate called Gistlover family.
According to the statement, they are responsible for the daily running of the Gistlover blog, a microblogging platform known for cyberstalking, incitement, Blackmail, and sundry, which has over the years been a public outcry.
The first suspect Adebukola Kolapo a.k.a Omo oba Gistlover was responsible for the creation of over 80 percent of the Gistlover pages thereby lending his digital footprint for the perpetration of the aforementioned criminal act.
Being on the pay roll of the said platform and having enjoyed incentives like car gifts and monies. Adebukola was saddled with the responsibility of scouting, editing and captioning contents including the cyber stalking post made against the complainant, Dr.Oluseyi Oladejo.
Adebukola has also contributed in laundering monies gotten from the illegal scheme through various means.
Digital forensic analysis led to the recovery of eight (8) gist lover pages created on the instruction of the head of the syndicate by Adebukola, and wallet addresses used in laundering these monies.
The second suspect, Nnedum Somtochukwu also shared in the conspiracy wherein at every point the page was taken down for certain infractions and violation of policies at the instance of reports from Law Enforcement Agencies.
He enjoyed incentives like referrals for promotions from the head of the syndicate, Nnedum has also been found sharing contents, feed backs, and making defamatory remarks with the said head of the syndicate.
The third suspect, Isaac Akpokighe a 30 years old male resident of Igando Lagos State unlike the duo above, is into Blackmailing, cyber stalking and false information market, decides to imitate the Gistlover blog.
Digital forensics led to the recovery of four gistlover pages created by Isaac Apkokogho.
Adejobi said the suspects will be charged to court upon the conclusion of the investigation
The Inspector General of Police IGP Olukayode Egbetokun applauds the National Cybercrime Center led by CP Uche Henry as he reaffirms the commitment of the Force to ensuring the safety of citizens in the physical and digital space.
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