The Nigeria Police Force declared a British national, Andrew Wynne Martins, and a Nigerian citizen, Lucky Ehis Obiyan, wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the democratically elected government of President Bola Tinubu. In a Special Police Gazette Bulletin released on Monday, the police announced a reward of N10 million each for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of the suspects.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi said “the suspect built a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos. He rented a space at Labour House, Abuja, for an ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ and established ‘STARS of Nations Schools’ as a cover for his subversive activities.” he also said Wynne and his local coordinator, Obiyan, had fled the country.
On same Monday by evening, Andrew Wynne released a statement written on the letterhead of his bookshop, he said the mass protests over #EndBadGovernance and #EndHunger frightened the government.
“But rather than addressing the people’s demands, the government turned to repression”.
The Statement Reads:
PROTEST IS NOT TREASON – release all the detainees! The mass protests over #EndBadGovernance and #EndHunger frightened the government. But rather than addressing the peoples’ demands, the government turned to repression. Perhaps 40 people were murdered by the police and other the security forces, thousands were arrested and many still remain in captivity.
In Abuja, the authorities have attacked the so called leaders and organisers of the protests. Ten people face ridiculous charges including treason, mutiny and levying war against the state.
The NLC promised a general strike to protect its President, Joe Ajaero, from arrest and detention in relation to similar charges. Despite the flimsy nature of the evidence against the detainees, they face long years in prison unless the trade union movement is prepared to protect them. On 7th August the NLC said it, “condemns in the strongest terms the human rights violations perpetrated by security forces against peaceful protesters.”
The first person to be arrested in this case was Eleojo Opaluwa. He is a former colleague of Joe Ajaero, working for NUEE, the electricians union, as an organiser in Abuja. He is also the Vice Chair of the NLC in Kogi State. He has now been detained for over 4 weeks with no tangible evidence. His family was told that he had received a WhatsApp message from one of the other alleged leaders. This was after Eleojo had actually been detained. The ten detainees have been accused of conspiracy to commit a range of serious crimes.
However, they barely know each other. Five of them may have been members of a WhatsApp group set up to organise the protests in Abuja. But the other five are unknown to these comrades. They may be a few of the flag waving protesters from Kano who were added to extend the range of the organizers to cover the main protests from Sokoto to Maiduguri There appears to be a conflict between the government and the police investigating this case. The head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) told the detainees’ lawyers that he would have released them, but that he had orders from above not to set them free. So the police have developed what appears to be a ridiculous case involving the owner of Iva Valley Books.
They are claiming that he goes under the name of Andrew Povich, a Russian sounding name, and that he has now left Nigeria for Russia. Neither of these claims are true. Yomi, who works for Iva Valley Books, has, like the other detainees, been treated in a terribly inhumane manner. He was arrested in front of his wife and three-year old daughter. All their phones were confiscated by the police. This was despite appeals from his wife that they needed a phone to get money for food. He was then imprisoned illegally and held in chains, beaten and tortured for three days. His only involvement was to design flyers for the protests on the instructions of his boss. The NLC has shown that it has the power to protect its President. It now needs to extend this action to protect its other officers, its members and the general public”
Andrew Wynne and his Nigerian wife also featured in exclusive interviews on Channels Television saying he’s available to speak with Nigerian forces.
“I am not aware that I am a fugitive, I am not aware that I am running away from the law, I have been visiting Nigeria for 25 years. I have had a bookshop at the NLC offices right at the centre of Abuja for seven years and all that time, of course the security forces have paid no interest in me”.
“I only have one nationality and the name on my passport is Andrew Wynne with a nickname. I am more than happy to talk with the police, I am more than happy to have a discussion on WhatsApp or Zoom, I am more than happy to go to London and meet with officials from the Nigerian High Commission. If they want to start a conversation then I think that is more than adequate,” Wynne said.
ANDREW WYNNE’S WIFE SPEAKS OF FALSE ACCUSATION
The Nigerian wife of the Briton also speaking to Channels Television exclusively, said that her husband is being accused falsely.
The wife said that the reason for her husband’s ordeal is far from the allegation of toppling the government being levelled against him by the police.
She accused a Nigerian, whom she said is owing her husband, of looking for ways to throw Wynne out of the country to avoid paying his debt.
“We have been together for nine years, eight years of friendship before we finally got married last year. My husband is falsely accused, he has never been a terrorist. He is being accused because one Mr. Olumide is owing him and not ready to pay him,” she said.
“He is being accused because one Mr. Olumide Inokunye (sic) owes him and is not willing to pay him. The case is still in court even now. So, he is just doing everything he can to intimidate and throw him out of the country.
“The case is in court even now. So, he is just doing anything he can to intimidate and throw him out of the country, He is in UK because he came in and at the expiring date of his going back, he had to go back. If not for all these, he is supposed to be back maybe around twenty something of September.”
It is hoped that this doesn’t become a trend in governance in Nigeria as was also seen in the last administration where the fear tactic is used to suppress Nigerians from protesting. To protest peacefully is a fundamental right enshrined in the constitution of the country.
The cost of fuel is still high and fuel queues can still be seen on the streets. The cost of food is still on the rise, kidnappings, killings and the likes are still making headlines almost on a daily basis, and there is still biting hunger and an uncertain future for the average Nigerian as the cost of education has also gone up astronomically. All reasons for the protest in the first place. Nigerians hope and pray every day for a change they can see, feel and touch.
