British Man Stunned By Nigerian Statement He Is One Of The Most Wanted Fugitives

A British citizen says he cannot understand why Nigerian police are accusing him of trying to overthrow the Nigerian government and have put a bounty on his head.

On Monday, a Nigerian police spokesman claimed that Andrew Wynne and an accomplice had set up a network of sleeper cells to destabilise Nigeria and had fled the country following last month’s cost-of-living protests.

Speaking from the UK, Mr Wynne told Nigerian television Channels he was unaware of the allegations and was happy to speak to authorities.

He said he owned a bookstore in the Nigerian capital Abuja and had been visiting the West African country for 25 years without any problems.

Nigerian police have offered a reward of 10 million naira (US$6,000, £5,000) to anyone with information leading to Mr Wynne’s arrest. The same amount has also been offered for his alleged Nigerian accomplice Lucky Obiyan.

“I like talking to the police; I like having a conversation on WhatsApp or Zoom; I like going to London to meet with officials from the Nigerian High Commission,” said Mr Wynne, who also goes by the name Andrew Povich.

He was declared a fugitive on the day he was released 10 Nigerians were charged with treason for participating in the protests dubbed “10 Days of Rage.”

These demonstrations were mainly organised through social media, but also received support from the country’s trade unions.

All those charged in the Federal High Court on Monday with treason, destruction of public property and battery on police officers pleaded not guilty. Their indictments also said they had worked with Mr Wynne.

Later, police spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi gave more details about Mr Wynne, saying he had rented a room at the Labour House in Abuja, the headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the country’s main trade union.

He also said the British national had set up a school to cover up his activities in a bid to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu.

“I’m not aware that I’m a fugitive; I’m not aware that I’m on the run from the law,” Wynne told Channels TV.

“I ran a bookshop at the NLC office in downtown Abuja for seven years, but of course the security forces had no interest in me during all that time,” he said.

The August demonstrations escalated in some places, with protesters clashing with security forces. Police say at least seven people have been killed, although human rights groups put the death toll at 23.