Police declare Briton wanted for ‘plotting to overthrow’ Tinubu

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has declared Andrew Wynne, a Briton, wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu. 

Wynne was declared wanted alongside Ehis Obinyan, a Nigerian, 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, 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.”

Adejobi said Wynne has been placed on global surveillance after fleeing the country since investigations began.

“Since the commencement of investigations, Andrew Wynne has fled the country. He and one of his local coordinators, one Lucky Ehis Obiyan have accordingly been declared wanted and global hunting for them has commenced in connection with this investigation,” he said.

The force spokesperson added that nine #EndBadGovernance protesters were arraigned today over alleged criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.

BACKGROUND

On August 7, police officers raided the Labour House in the Central Business District of Abuja.

The NLC had said the operatives on the search  operation “claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGovernance protests”.

The raid took place amid a 10-day nationwide protest against the pervasive economic hardship in the country which kicked off on August 1.

The NLC had said the operatives who raided the building “claimed that they were looking for seditious materials used for the #EndBadGovernance protests”.

Some days after the raid, Kayode Egbetokun, inspector-general of police, said the “mastermind of the Sudan conflict was traced to NLC headquarters in Abuja”.

Egbetokun said some individuals allegedly wanted to use the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest to destabilise the country.

Subsequently, the police invited Joe Ajaero, NLC president, for questioning in connection with the raid.