The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an arrest warrant against a British citizen, Andrew Wynne, and two Nigerians previously declared wanted by the Nigerian police for allegedly plotting an insurrection against Nigeria.
Nigerians who were also arrested by the court are Lucky Obiyan and Abdullahi Musa.
Judge Emeka Nwite issued the order on Tuesday following an ex parte application by police.
Mr Wynne and the two others have become key targets of President Bola Tinubu's government's sweeping crackdown on activists and others linked to the recent #EndBadGovernance protests.
Police, through their spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi, accused Wynne (also known as Andrew Povich or Drew Povey), in a statement on Monday, of building “a network of sleeper cells to overthrow” the Bola Tinubu administration “and plunge the nation into chaos.”
Police said Wynne was wanted and had “fled the country.”
Mr Adejobi said Mr Wynne “rented a space in Labour House, Abuja, for an ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ and established ‘STARS of Nations Schools’ as a cover for his subversive activities.”
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Also on Monday, the government arraigned 10 Nigerians who participated in the #EndBadGovernance protest in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna and other states. Part of the charges against them was that they collaborated with the 70-year-old Briton “with the intent to destabilise Nigeria” and that they “called on the military to take over the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”. They were also accused of conspiring with Wynee to plot a war against the Nigerian state.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
The judge, Mr Nwite, remanded the 10 accused in custody until September 11 and will have to rule on their bail application.
On August 22, the government ordered the two-month detention of 75 protesters, including at least 28 minors, pending police investigations into alleged terrorism-related offences.
Tuesday's hearing
On Tuesday, Audu Garba, a police lawyer, filed an ex parte application for an arrest warrant against Wynne in the Federal High Court.
The PUNCH reported that the lawyer urged the court to grant the request in the interest of justice.
He told the judge that the court order would allow all police officers in the country and other security agencies to use their mechanisms to ensure the lawful arrest of fugitive defendants.
He said the defendants, who were on the run, were involved in the case of conspiracy, treason, inciting riot, inciting disaffection against the government and terrorism, among others.
The lawyer said the defendants' actions were contrary to sections 97, 410, 413, 416 and 412 of the Criminal Code, Northern States Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004.
An affidavit filed to support the ex parte request echoed many of the claims in the charges filed against the 10 protesters on trial, which the police spokesman repeated against Wynee on Monday.
The affidavit said investigations conducted so far had shown that the fleeing defendants were allegedly responsible for planning and coordinating the invasion and burning down of the High Court Complex, the Nigerian Communications Commission office and the Printing Press, all in Kano State, among others.
Logo of the Federal Supreme Court
Mr Garba said that other people who were on the run were being tracked, hence the need to request an arrest warrant against them.
Mr Nwite ruled that the request was meritorious and proceeded to grant the prayers of the Nigerian police.
A Briton dismisses police claims
Mr Wynee dismissed the police allegations against him in a statement on Monday.
In his statement on his bookstore's letterhead, Mr. Wynne said mass protests under the slogans #EndBadGovernance and #EndHunger had scared the government.
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“But instead of addressing the people’s demands, the government resorted to repression,” he said.
He recalled that some 40 people “were killed by the police and other security forces, thousands were arrested and many are still in captivity.”
“In Abuja, authorities have attacked alleged leaders and organisers of the protests. Ten people are facing ridiculous charges, including treason, mutiny and war against the state,” he said.