Drew Povey, a British national accused by the Nigerian government of inciting insurrection against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, has called on the authorities not to equate peaceful protests with treason.
The government claims Povey, who also allegedly uses the name Andrew Wynne, was involved in building “a network of sleeper cells to topple” the Tinubu government and “plunge the nation into chaos.”
Povey’s statement came after his bookshop, located at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) headquarters in Abuja, was raided and sealed by authorities. He has been accused of enabling #EndBadGovernance protesters “with intent to destabilize Nigeria.”
In a statement on the letterhead of his bookshop, Povey declared: “PROTEST IS NOT TREASON – release all the detainees!” He criticized the government’s response to the #EndBadGovernance and #EndHunger protests, which he claims led to the death of around 40 people by police and other security forces, thousands of arrests, and continued detention of many participants.
Povey further highlighted the crackdown on protest organizers in Abuja, stating that ten individuals face serious charges, including treason and mutiny. The NLC has vowed to strike in defense of its president, Joe Ajaero, who faces similar allegations.
He also mentioned the case of Eleojo Opaluwa, an NLC official who has been detained for over four weeks without evidence. Opaluwa’s alleged crime involved receiving a WhatsApp message from another protest organizer after he had already been detained. Povey claims that there is little connection between the detainees, with some being unknown to others or loosely connected through social media groups.
Povey further alleged a conflict between the government and the police, claiming the head of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) expressed a willingness to release the detainees but had orders from higher authorities to keep them in custody. He criticized the accusations against him, stating that claims of him using the name “Andrew Povich” and fleeing to Russia are false.
Povey also described the arrest and inhumane treatment of Yomi, an employee of Iva Valley Books, who was detained in front of his family, had his phone confiscated, and was subjected to illegal imprisonment and torture. Yomi’s only alleged crime was designing flyers for the protests on Povey’s instructions.
The statement called on the NLC to extend its protective measures beyond its leadership to other detained officers, members, and the general public, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding fundamental human rights and freedoms in Nigeria.
