Police Apprehend Operators Of Popular Blog, Gistlover
The operators of the popular blog, Gistlover, have been arrested by the police for allegedly publishing false and defamatory stories about celebrities and public figures. The blog, which has over 1.5 million followers on Instagram, is known for exposing scandals and controversies involving prominent Nigerians, such as politicians, entertainers, and influencers.
According to a statement by the police spokesperson, ACP Olumiyiwa Adejobi, the arrest was made following several complaints and petitions from some of the victims of the blog, who accused the operators of blackmail, extortion, and cyberbullying. He said that the police traced and apprehended the suspects, who were identified as Adebukola Kolapo, Nnedum Micheal Somtomchukwu and Isaac Akpokighe, all males of ages 27, 25 and 30 respectively.
Olumuyiwa said that the suspects confessed to being the owners and administrators of the blog, and that they used various fake accounts and proxies to conceal their identities. He said that the suspects also admitted to obtaining personal and confidential information about their targets from their close associates, such as friends, relatives, and employees¹.
He said that the suspects would then use the information to publish sensational and damaging stories about their targets, and demand huge sums of money from them to take down the posts. He said that some of the victims paid as much as N5 million to the suspects to avoid further embarrassment and harassment.
Olumuyiwa said that the police recovered several electronic devices, such as laptops, phones, and SIM cards, from the suspects, which contained evidence of their activities. He said that the police also discovered that the suspects had links with other similar blogs, such as Instablog9ja and NaijaGistLive, which were also notorious for spreading fake news and gossip.
He said that the police would charge the suspects to court for offences such as cyberstalking, defamation, fraud, and extortion, and that the police would also collaborate with other law enforcement agencies to clamp down on other online platforms that engage in such practices¹.
He urged Nigerians to be wary of the information they consume and share on social media, and to verify the sources and credibility of such information. He also advised Nigerians to protect their privacy and personal data from unauthorized access and misuse.
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