The Nigeria Police Force has declared British national Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich or Drew Povey, wanted for allegedly conspiring to overthrow the government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Announcing this on Monday, police spokesperson ASP Olumuyiwa Adejobi disclosed that an investigation has been launched to probe the involvement of foreign mercenaries and subversive elements in the alleged plot against Nigeria’s democratically elected government.
Speaking at Force Headquarters in Abuja, Adejobi stated that Wynne had rented premises at Labour House, Abuja, under the guise of an establishment called ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ and set up ‘STARS of Nations Schools’ to serve as a front for his subversive activities.
“The Nigeria Police Force has initiated a comprehensive investigation into the activities of a foreign national and subversive elements aiming to destabilize the democratically elected government in Nigeria through unconstitutional means and orchestrated violence,” Adejobi said.
He further revealed that nine suspects have already been arrested in connection with the plot. “Following extensive intelligence gathering and cooperation with other security agencies, we have detained nine individuals who received significant financial support from foreign sources to create chaos and undermine the government,” he added.
Preliminary findings suggest these suspects organized and funded violent protests, spread false information, and engaged in unlawful activities to create an atmosphere of disorder, justifying their plan to overthrow the government.
These developments follow the recent arrest of several Polish nationals by the Department of State Services (DSS) during a protest in Kano. While Polish officials maintained that their citizens were not involved in the Nigerian protest and were in Kano for an exchange program at Bayero University, they were detained for several weeks before being released.
In a related incident, the police have also summoned Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), regarding a British national staying at Labour House in Abuja. Although Ajaero complied with the initial summons last week, a fresh summons has since been issued for his appearance.
