Court issues arrest warrant against Briton for ‘funding terrorism’ in Nigeria

A federal high court in Abuja has issued a warrant of arrest against Andrew Wynne, a Briton, over allegations bordering on treason and terrorism.

Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, granted the order on Tuesday while ruling on an ex-parte motion filed by the inspector-general of police (IGP).

Moving the application, Audu Garba, police counsel, prayed the court to issue an arrest warrant against Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich, Lucky Ehis Obiyan, and Abdullahi Musa.

The lawyer told the court that the defendants are wanted for conspiracy, treason, inciting to mutiny, disaffection from the government, and terrorism, among others, contrary to sections 97, 410, 413, 416, and 412 of the Penal Code, Northern States Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004.

The affidavit in support of the motion said investigations conducted revealed that the fleeing defendants were allegedly responsible for planning and coordination of the invasion and burning down of the high court complex, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) office, and the printing press in Kano during the #EndBadGovernance protest.

The defendants were also alleged to be responsible for the attack on Kano government house, Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency’s office, the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) office, and several other buildings last month.

Garba said granting the application would enable police officers within the country and other security agencies to use their mechanisms to secure the lawful arrest of the defendants.

Delivering the ruling, Nwite granted the application and described it as “meritorious”.

During a press briefing in Abuja on Monday, Muyiwa Adejobi, force spokesperson, accused Wynne of building a “network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos”.

Adejobi said the Briton rented a space at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters in Abuja for “Iva Valley Bookshop and established STARS of Nations Schools as a cover for his subversive activities”.

“Documentary evidence and confessions revealed that Andrew Wynne issued directives, monitored progress, and provided finance and operational guidance to achieve unconstitutional regime change in Nigeria,” the force spokesperson said.

“He mobilized and deployed several billions of naira to his Nigerian collaborators, urging them to mobilize the public to violently storm police facilities and military barracks, anticipating a bloodbath that will instigate international condemnation of the Nigerian government.

“These acts are in clear violation of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and other relevant laws.”