A former British diplomat, David Roberts, and Mike Arnold, a U.S. Mayor, have voiced their support for Nigeria’s decision to prosecute British national, Andrew Wynne and 12 Nigerians on charges of treason.
The Briton and Nigerians are accused of plotting to overthrow the government of President Bola Tinubu by the Nigeria Police, on Monday.
This comes after Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, filed a case at the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing the suspects of attempting to destabilize the country, threaten the president, and cause destruction at the National Communication Commission (NCC) Centre in Kano.
The alleged crimes were said to have taken place between July 1 and August 4, 2024.
The names of those charged are:
1. Abdulsalam Zubairu2. Adeyemi Ahayomi (aka Yomi)3. Andrew Wynne (aka Andrew Povich)4. Angel Innocent5. Bashir Bello (aka Murtala)6. Buhari Lawal7. Comrade Musa Abdollahi8. Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo9. Lucky Obryan10. Micheal Adaramoye (aka Lenin)11. Mosiu Sadiq12. Nursdeen Khamis13. Suleiman Yakubu
Wynne, the only foreign national in the group, has been a central figure in the case, accused of fueling unrest under the guise of protests.
In separate statements, Roberts and Arnold emphasized that Wynne does not have immunity against Nigerian law.
They condemned actions like the flying of Russian flags during August’s cost-of-living protests, interpreting them as an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Roberts, a former British Council director in Nigeria, stated, “It is wrong and provocative for any foreigner, UK national or not, to be involved in destabilising a nation like Nigeria, with close links to Nigeria, especially after we had to deal with our protests last month.
“If a British national is involved, it gives Nigeria’s closest friend, the United Kingdom, a bad name. In such circumstances, the best thing to do is for the persons involved to come out of hiding and clear their names if, indeed, they are innocent.
“The United Kingdom has just come out of a nasty experience with intolerants attempting to destabilise our country in the name of anti-immigration protests.
“So, I am empathetic to Nigeria’s situation, with protests supposedly about hardship becoming a platform to instigate regime change.”
Arnold, Mayor of Blanco, Texas, expressed his belief in free speech but clarified that such freedoms should not be exploited to incite violence or promote insurrection.
He stressed that any foreigner participating in unlawful protests should turn themselves in and face the consequences for violating Nigerian law.
The U.S. Mayor noted that flying the Russian flag during the protests indicated a move toward insurrection, which could not be tolerated.
Arnold stated, “I believe deeply in the freedom of speech and the right to assemble and protest peacefully. That said, I stand entirely with the Nigerian government in preserving democracy.
“Any foreigner involved in politicising the so-called Days of Rage protests has run afoul of the laws of Nigeria and violated their visa status. They should turn themselves in. Russian flags showed that, in some instances, otherwise peaceful and law-abiding protests were twisted into an insurrection against democracy, which cannot be tolerated.”
Both officials stand with Nigeria in its effort to maintain peace, democracy, and national stability in the face of attempted subversion.
