Police place N20m bounty on wanted Briton, over plot to topple Tinubu

The Nigeria Police Force Headquarters announced on Monday that it has declared a British national, Andrew Wynne, also known as Andrew Povich or Drew Povey, wanted for allegedly sponsoring terrorism in Nigeria.

The police also declared another man, Lucky Ehis Obiyan, wanted. Obiyan is said to be Wynne’s local coordinator in Nigeria. The police stated that a global search for both men has begun.

A reward of ten million naira is being offered for information leading to the arrest of each of them.

This information was released in a Special Police Gazette Bulletin shared with journalists at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The bulletin urged anyone who sees the wanted men to report them to the nearest police station or to the office of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Department of Force Intelligence at Force Headquarters, Abuja.

The police also provided contact numbers for reporting: 08035179870, 09133333785, and 09133333786.

“There is a ten million naira reward for any person with information that leads to the arrest of either Andrew Wynne or Lucky Obiyan,” the bulletin said.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, explained that investigations into the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) revealed details about Wynne’s activities. The NLC was unaware of the true identity of the person occupying their building.

He stated that Wynne, described as a foreign mercenary, had set up sleeper cells across Nigeria with plans to overthrow the government and create chaos in the country.

“Investigations identified Andrew Wynne, who used the aliases Andrew Povich or Drew Povey, as a key figure in building a network aimed at destabilizing Nigeria. He rented a space at the Labour House in Abuja under the guise of running a bookshop called ‘Iva Valley Bookshop’ and also established ‘STARS of Nations Schools’ as a front for his illegal activities,” Adejobi said.

Evidence gathered, including documents and confessions, showed that Wynne was involved in giving instructions, monitoring progress, and funding operations to achieve an illegal change of government in Nigeria.

“He provided billions of naira to his Nigerian partners, encouraging them to mobilize the public to attack police stations and military barracks. These violent actions were intended to cause a major crisis and draw international condemnation against the Nigerian government. Such actions are clear violations of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and other laws,” Adejobi added.

Adejobi noted that Wynne fled the country as soon as the investigation started. Both he and his local partner, Lucky Obiyan, have been declared wanted, and efforts to find them are now global.

The police urged the public to remain vigilant and provide any information that could help in apprehending the suspects.