Andrew Wynne, a British national declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force, has indicated he will not turn himself in because he fears for his life in the hands of the police.
On Monday, the police proclaimed Wynne and a Nigerian named Lucky Obiyan wanted and slapped a N20 million bounty on them for allegedly attempting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu by sponsoring the country’s recent #EndBadGovernance or #Hunger protest.
Wynne refuted the charges and accused the police of failing to offer an invitation to him.
However, in a statement released on Tuesday, Force PRO ACP Muyiwa Adejobi stated that the police had invited Wynne and given him sufficient opportunity to come forward to prove his innocence.
“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,” Adejobi said on Tuesday.
However, in an interview on Wednesday, Wynne said he would not be alive if he surrendered to the police.
Referring to the instance of his employee, Yomi, who he claims was severely tortured by police for days after being arrested at the bookshop, Wynne proclaimed that he would not allow the same to happen to him.
Wynne, a 70-year-old man, indicated that if he surrendered to the authorities, he would die within a year.
He said, “The police say if I am innocent, I should give myself up. I am innocent. Like Yomi, for example, Yomi is completely innocent; give myself up and be tortured?
“I mean, it’s beyond fear, isn’t it? Yomi is my son, and he’s completely innocent and was tortured for three days.
“And the police expect me to come back to Nigeria and be tortured? My fear is I would not be alive. It’s not about fear of torture and being beaten up by the police; it’s fear for my life. I don’t think I would survive the year if I came back to Nigeria.”
