The alleged plot to topple President Tinubu

Nigeria’s 25-year uninterrupted democracy came under severe threat between August 1 and 10, 2024, under the guise of a nationwide peaceful protest. The protest, tagged #EndBadGovernance or #EndHunger protest, was, ostensibly, aimed at compelling the federal government to reverse its policies on fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira, among other demands. But police investigations revealed that the real motive of the sponsors was to topple the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu government.

The police identified a Briton, Andrew Wynne (also known as Andrew Povich), and his Nigerian collaborator, Mr Lucky Obiyan, as the alleged masterminds of the hunger protest with the intent to overthrow a democratically elected government. Consequently, the police have declared Wynne and Obiyan wanted over charges bordering on treason. The police also placed a N10 million bounty on each of the suspects.

Relatedly, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, who was also invited to clear the air on his relationship with the wanted Briton, has since been exculpated of the treason allegations by the police.

Giving details of its investigations, police spokesman, Muyiwa Adejobi, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), accused the Briton of building a network of sleeper cells to topple the government and plunge the nation into chaos. Adejobi said Wynne rented a space at the Labour House, headquarters of the NLC, and established a school to cover up his activities.

“He (Wynne) 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.

“The Nigeria Police Force has launched a comprehensive investigation into the activities of a foreign national and subversive elements plotting to undermine the democratically elected government in Nigeria through unconstitutional regime change and orchestrating violence across the country”, he said.

Adejobi explained that 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.

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.

According to the police spokesman, documentary evidence and confessions revealed that Andrew Wynne issued directives, monitored progress, and provided finance and operational guidance to achieve unconstitutional regime change in Nigeria. “These acts are in clear violation of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and other relevant laws,” Adejobi said.

He alleged that the Briton fled the country since the commencement of the police probe and that Wynne and one of his local coordinators (Obiyan) have accordingly been declared wanted and global hunting for them has commenced.

He confirmed the arraignment of the 10 other apprehended suspects before a competent court of law for criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime.

He said that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, while condemning the activities of the group, has since activated the INTERPOL tools and other global policing networks to support ongoing domestic investigations aimed at locating and apprehending the suspects at large.

In his reaction, Wynne, a 70-year old man, denied the allegations levelled against him by the Nigeria police. He said he won’t be turning himself in because he feared for his life in the hands of the police. Wynne also accused the police of not extending an invitation to him, a claim the police debunked.

“We have established an offence or offences against him (Wynne), and we have even declared him wanted. His accomplices have been charged in court. Let him come out. At least those people worked for him. As a good leader, a businessman, and a smart man who mobilised and organised sleeper cells to cause problems in Nigeria, he should have come out as a good leader and proven to his followers that he was a good leader. Let him come and meet us,” the police said.

Blueprint commends the Nigeria police for its pro-activeness and due diligence in busting this terrorism financing syndicate. Any act aimed at subverting a legally constituted authority or government is a felony, which must not be treated with kids’ gloves. The alleged plot to topple President Tinubu goes beyond his government; it, certainly, seeks to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, which the president symbolises.

We, therefore, implore the police not to leave any stone unturned in apprehending the suspects and prosecuting them in accordance with the relevant laws. If found guilty, they must be made to face the full wrath of the law in order to serve as a deterrence to other like minds.