Attempted Coup: Briton Arraigned in Absentia
*Nine Nigerians paraded in court.

Authorities in Nigeria on Monday arraigned in absentia, British national, Andrew Martins Wynne before a Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja High Court over his involvement in a coup attempt against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The 70 year-old Briton is said to have engaged in treasonous activities during the week long nationwide Bad Governance protest between July 1 and August 4, 2024, activities that amounted to a war against the Nigerian state.
Charges against Whynne and nine others, including Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Comrade Opaluwa Eleojo Simon, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello Nurudeen Khamis, and Abduldalam Zubair, were instituted by the Inspector-General of Police, who disclosed that the accused and others broke into the Abacha Army Barracks and openly called for a military takeover of President Tinubu’s government.
Among others, they are charged with attempting to forcibly broke into the seat of Nigerian political power while setting alight a police facility and injuring police personnel in the process.
In addition, they are being accused of inciting the public against the government and causing widespread destruction of public property, among which are police stations, a High Court complex, and facilities belonging to the National Communication Commission, NCC.
The offences are said to have been committed in various locations, including Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, and Gombe.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Meanwhile, prosecution counsel, Simon Lough, SAN, has requested that presiding judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, remanded the accused persons in prison pending the trial. The request was however, contested by defense counsel.
It would be recalled that earlier on Monday, the Nigerian Police Force spokesperson, ACP Muyuwa Adejobi, stated that the accused were arrested following extensive intelligence gathering.
According to him, the accused were found to have received substantial financial assistance from foreign sources to destabilize the country.
“Following extensive intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security agencies, nine suspects have been apprehended.
“They received substantial financial backing from foreign sources to destabilize the country. He maintained that investigations also unveiled that the suspects orchestrated and disseminated false information while engaging in unlawful activities calculated to undermine the government.
“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.
In particular, Adejobi pointed out that investigation identified Wynne, aka, Andrew Povich or Drew Povey, as the foreign mercenary who created a sleeper cell network for the purpose of overthrowing the Tinubu administration, actions he said, are contrary to the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2021 and other extant laws.
“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.
“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.
“He mobilized and deployed several billions of naira to his Nigerian collaborators, urging them to mobilize 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."
Wynne, he said, fled the country alongside a local accomplices, identified as Lucky Ehis Obinyan.
Both of them have been declared wanted.
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