In response to a petition by a woman named Seye Oladejo, the Nigeria Police Force’s (NPF) National Cybercrime Center has detained three people in relation to a case involving allegations of conspiracy, cyberstalking, and threat to life.
The suspects, Adebukola Kolapo, Nnedum Micheal Somtomchukwu, and Isaac Akpokighe, are all male and age 27, 25, and 30, respectively. They are part of a syndicate called Gistlover Family, which is in charge of managing the Gistlover blog, a microblogging platform, on a daily basis, according to a statement released by the Nigeria Police Force spokesperson, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.
The blog is well-known for “cyberstalking, incitement, blackmail, and sundry, which has over the years been a cause for public outcry,” according to a police official.
“The suspects revealed their various degrees of involvement in the conspiracy upon their arrest, corroborating the already available overwhelming evidences,” the statement stated. The first suspect, Adebukola Kolapo, also known as Omo oba Gistlover, created more than 80% of the Gistlover pages, providing his digital footprint in the commission of the aforementioned crime.
Adebukola, who was employed by the aforementioned platform and received benefits such as cash and automobile presents, was tasked with finding, modifying, and captioning information, including the cyberstalking post that was made against the complainant, Hon. and Dr. Mrs. Oluseyi Oladejo. Adebukola has also used a variety of techniques to help launder money obtained from the illicit enterprise.
Further breakthroughs included the discovery of eight (8) gist lover pages made by Adebukola, the syndicate chief, and wallet addresses used to launder these funds according to digital forensic investigation.
The second suspect, One Nnedum Somtochukwu, was also involved in the plot. According to reports from law enforcement agencies, the page was taken down for various infractions and policy violations at every stage. The suspect used his platform to use any means necessary to reroute traffic to the new page, which helped the blog avoid punishment.
“While receiving benefits from the syndicate head, such as recommendations for promotions, Nnedum has also been observed exchanging content, receiving negative feedback, and engaging in disparaging conversations with the aforementioned syndicate head.
Unlike the previous two suspects, the third suspect, 30-year-old male Isaac Akpokighe of Igando, Lagos State, is similar to hundreds of other Nigerians who chose to replicate the Gistlover blog after seeing how profitable cyberstalking, blackmail, and fake information sales can be. By doing this, he produced multiple of these pages and replicated the blog’s actions, including publishing the message that was both libelous and potentially fatal to the complaint as well as numerous other well-known Nigerians. Isaac Apkokogho’s four gistlover pages were found thanks to digital forensics.
ACP Adejobi stated that after the investigation is finished, the suspects would face charges in court.
The statement went on, “The Inspector General of Police, IGP Olukayode Egbetokun PhD. NPM, applauds the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Center led by CP Uche Ifeanyi Henry as he reaffirms the Force’s commitment to ensuring the safety of citizens in the physical and digital space, while strongly warning against all sorts of partnerships that promote the illegal activities of this blog and others engaging in similar activities.”
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