The British national declared wanted on Monday by the Nigeria Police, Andrew Wynne, for allegedly plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has denied the allegation.
Wynne, who spoke on Monday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today from his base in the United Kingdom, said he was not even aware he had been labelled a fugitive.
The rebuttal comes a few hours after the Nigeria Police placed a N20m bounty on his head along with a Nigerian, Lucky Obiyan, who was described as an accomplice.
Addressing journalists on Monday, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, accused the Briton of building a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos.
But Wynee declared that he couldn’t have been scheming to destabilise the leadership of a country that accommodated him for 25 years.
He said, “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 and have had a bookshop in the NLC office right in the centre of Abuja for seven years. All that time, of course, the security forces have paid no interest in me.
“I have always had one nationality. The name on my passport is Andrew Wynne and I operate with a nickname. I think it really started as differentiating in the sense of the broad political education work that I do with the bookshop.
“I am more than happy to talk to the police and 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’s wife (names withheld), who also spoke on the programme, distanced her husband from the alleged terror act, saying the allegation was deliberately concocted for witch-hunt.
She blamed a certain Olumide Inokunye (sic) as the brain behind the raid on her husband’s bookshop at the NLC complex and the attempt to frame her husband.
“We have been together for nine years now. Eight years of friendship and we got married last year. My husband has been falsely accused. He has never been a terrorist.
“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.
“My husband is in the UK now. He came in at the expiry date of his (visa) and had to go back.”
Earlier on Monday, the police declared Wynne, aka Andrew Povich, and a Nigeria, Lucky Obiyan, wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the democratically elected government in the country.
The police accused the British national of building a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, the Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said Wynne rented a space at Labour House and established a school to serve as a decoy.
He said, “The Nigeria Police Force has launched a comprehensive investigation into the activities of a foreign national and subversive elements plotting to undermine the democratically elected government in Nigeria through unconstitutional regime change and orchestrating violence across the country.
“Following extensive intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies, nine suspects have been apprehended, who received substantial financial backing from foreign sources to destabilize the country. Preliminary findings suggest they orchestrated and funded violent protests, disseminated false information, and engaged in other unlawful activities to create anarchy and justify their illegal plot to overthrow the democratically elected government.
“Investigations have identified a foreign mercenary, Andrew Wynne (also known as Andrew Povich or Drew Povey), a British national, who 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.”
Adejobi said documentary evidence and confessions revealed that Wynne provided finance and operational guidance to allegedly topple an elected government in the country.
He said, “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.
“He mobilised and deployed several billions of naira to his Nigerian collaborators, urging them to mobilise the public to violently storm police facilities and military barracks, anticipating a bloodbath that would 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 and his local coordinator, Obiyan, had fled the country.
He said, “Since the commencement of investigations, Andrew Wynne has fled the country. He and one of his local coordinators, one Lucky Obiyan, have accordingly been declared wanted, and global hunting for them has commenced in connection with this investigation.”
Adejobi noted that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had reached out to International Criminal Police Organisation and other international bodies in order to arrest the suspects.
“The IG, while condemning the activities of the group, has since activated the INTERPOL tools and other global policing networks to support ongoing domestic investigations aimed at locating and apprehending the suspects at large.
“The IGP assures the general public that the Force will leave no stone unturned in dealing with and bringing to deserved justice any individual or group threatening our national security and peace or promoting any movement with the motive of truncating our democratic government through unconstitutional means,” the police spokesman said.
Speaking on the invitation of the Nigeria Labour Congress President and other executives, Adejobi said it was to clarify the relationship between Wynne and the NLC.
Adejobi stated that after discussions between the police investigation team and the NLC President, there is now a better understanding of the ongoing police investigation’s focus and the extent of Wynne’s subversive activities and network.
He said, “Contrary to disinformation, the invitation extended to certain individuals within the NLC leadership has nothing to do with rights advocacy and activities of the union leadership but is aimed at clearing the relationship between the individuals and Andrew Wynne, who in addition to plotting unconstitutional regime change is also financing terrorism in Nigeria.
“Following the interaction between the police investigation team and the NLC President, there is now a clearer understanding of the focus of the ongoing police investigation and the depth of Andrew Wynne’s subversive network and activities.
“No nation will tolerate attempts by foreign elements to interfere in its internal affairs, threaten national security and organise and fund local elements to instigate uprisings aimed at destabilising the country and engendering violent and unconstitutional regime change.”
Adejobi said during their interactions with the NLC President, he revealed that the union was not in charge of subletting the spaces in the facilities.
He said, “Incidentally when the NLC president came, he made it clear that the NLC as a body is not in charge of subletting their facilities to certain people. If he did not come we would not have known. I am sure that now the NLC president will appreciate the police for inviting him and the leadership of the NLC because they were not aware of this man and certain things about him.”
N20m bounty placed
In a Special Police Gazette Bulletin released on Monday, the police announced a reward of N10m each for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of Wayne and Obiyan.
It read, “If seen, arrest and hand over to the nearest Police Station, or the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Department of Force Intelligence, Force Headquarters, Abuja, or call 08035179870, 09133333785, 09133333786.
“A reward sum of N10,000,000 awaits any person(s) with information leading to the arrest of each of them,” the police said.
