The Bayelsa state government paid close to one hundred million naira to an Italian firm, Hacking Team, to hack computers and phones in Nigeria, new information emerging from the firm’s leaked internal data has shown. bayelsagovHacking Team, notorious for equipping governments with tools to hack citizens’ computers and phones, was itself hacked Sunday night and 415 gigabyte of internal data leaked to the public. Researchers have been pouring through the leaked documents since it was first leaked Sunday night, throwing up many shocking details of the firm’s secret dealings with Bayelsa state and other repressive governments, including Sudan, Russia, and Bahrain. Documents seen show that the Bayelsa government, a small state in Nigeria’s oil rich Niger Delta, paid Hacking Team N98 million to carry out internet attacks, in what appears to be the most ambitious hacking project by a Nigerian state government. The contract was signed in late 2013, Hacking Team’s internal documents, leaked after the Sunday night hack attack on the company, show. Details of the extent of the attacks Hacking Team carried out on behalf of the state is not clear at the moment. The contract with the Bayelsa government is classed “intelligence ” – the same class with contracts the firm unlawfully held with Russia and Sudan. The cost of Bayelsa government’s contract with the firm is equivalent to what the Russian government recently paid the firm for maintenance of its Remote Control System. And worth more than what Turkey, Columbia and Bahrain paid to the firm. The Bayelsa Governor could not be reached to comment for this story.
His spokesperson, Daniel Iworiso-Markson did not answer or return calls seeking comment. He is also yet to respond to a text message sent to him. And so also is Dan Kikile, the state commissioner for information.
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