The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has declared a British national, Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich, and a Nigerian, Lucky Obiyan, wanted for allegedly plotting to overthrow the democratically elected government in the country.
This was disclosed by the force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, at a media briefing in Abuja, on Monday.
The police accused the British national of building a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos.
The police also accused Wynne of renting a space at Labour House and establishing a school to serve as a decoy.
Adejobi said: “Following extensive intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies, nine suspects have been apprehended, who received substantial financial backing from foreign sources to destabilise the country.”
Continuing, he said 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,” the police spokesperson said.
Adejobi said documentary evidence and confessions revealed that Wynne provided finance and operational guidance to allegedly topple an elected government in the country.
“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 added.
Adejobi said Wynne and his local coordinator, Obiyan, had fled the country, and “have accordingly been declared wanted, and global hunting for them has commenced in connection with this investigation.”
