Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Tuesday, issued a warrant of arrest against a British citizen, Andrew Wynne, and other Nigerians over allegations bordering on treason and terrorism, following an ex-parte motion filed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), but moved by Audu Garba.

It was a day the IGP accused about 10 other detained Nigerians, including Lucky Obiyan, and Abdullahi Musa of conniving with Wynne, otherwise known as Andrew Povich, to plot the removal of President Bola Tinubu through unconstitutional means.

In the action seeking an order to declare them wanted, he said the fleeing defendants were involved in the case of conspiracy, treason, inciting to mutiny, inciting disaffection to government and terrorism, among others, contrary to Sections 97, 410, 413, 416 and 412 of the Penal Code, Northern States Federal Provisions Act CAP P3 LFN 2004.

The affidavit in support of the motion said investigation so far conducted revealed that the fleeing defendants, were responsible for planning and coordination of the invasion and burning down of the High Court Complex, NCC office and printing press in Kano.

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They were also responsible for the attack on Kano Government House, Kaduna Investment and Promotions Agency’s office, NURTW office and several other buildings in August 2024, the affidavit, said, adding that others who are now at large are being tracked, hence, the need for the application.

Garba, who maintained that if the application is granted, it would enable all police officers in the country and other security agencies to use their mechanisms to secure the lawful arrest of the fleeing defendants, urged the court to grant the application in the interest of justice.

Abayomi Oladire, a lawyer handling a divorce case for a woman, is currently battling with injuries inflicted upon him by the irate husband who lunged on him with a broken bottle with which he dealt deadly blows on various parts of his body for daring to represent his wife in the matter.

Oladire, 40, was said to have been rushed to the hospital, where doctors are reportedly dealing with the injuries after the attack, said to have been carried out by one Kunle Kuteyi, who waylaid him at Ondo West Local Council of Ondo State, on his way to his sister’s baby naming ceremony.

Operatives of the Ondo State Police Command, are said to have launched a manhunt for the attacker, who local witnesses said was accusing the victim of having an affair with his wife to the extent of helping her file for divorce against him, and who reportedly fled the scene after the onslaught, which left the lawyer in pool of his own blood.

One of the eyewitness, who claimed to have observed the deadly incident, was quoted to have said: “We saw the two standing together, and later the suspect hugged the victim and pushed him away. The next thing we saw was the suspect bringing out a broken bottle and starting to stab the victim.”

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In his own account, the victim was quoted as saying: “The wife of the suspect brought a judgement to me and said her husband was ordered to pay N2 million by the court to a complainant in a case instituted against them. After going through the judgement, I observed that both the husband and wife were asked to pay N2 million each, and I explained this to her.

“She went to the complainant’s lawyer and paid the said amount. Then, she later asked me to prepare divorce papers because her husband had lied to her about the case. When I prepared the divorce papers, she later came back to me, that she was no longer interested because her husband’s family had intervened and begged her to forgive him.

“I told her that I would inform the judge on the next adjournment date. On the day of the incident, I was going to my sister’s baby naming ceremony when I saw the suspect. He said he had been looking for me because I prepared divorce papers for his wife. He accused me of dating her and of preparing a divorce letter for her.

“But I explained to him that his wife had told me she was no longer interested in the divorce and that we were going to withdraw the case on the next adjournment date. The suspect hugged me and bit me on the jaw, then brought out a broken bottle and started stabbing me.

“All I could do was guard myself to prevent him from stabbing me in the neck or other dangerous parts of my body. In the course of performing my legal duty by preparing a divorce for his wife, the suspect attempted to kill me by stabbing me viciously. He is walking freely in the town, and all the police stations in Ondo can’t arrest him.”

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Abba Kyari, formally detained Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and erstwhile Commander of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), may have returned back to prison, no thanks to the decision of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja to deny him a fresh bail application, after a temporary relief for him to bury his mother.

Justice Emeka Nwite, who presided over the case of the multiple award-winning super cop, who is currently being prosecuted by National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for drug-related crimes, refused to renew a fresh pleading for bail, pending the conclusion of his trial, after the expiration of the initial one.

At a court session in which reporters were barred, the court, reportedly ruled on Wednesday, that the fresh application by the embattled police officer lacked merit, stressing that Kyari, who is currently suspended from the police, failed to establish any exceptional circumstance that would warrant the exercise of judicial discretion in his favour.

Nwite, who noted that the trial court had earlier dismissed a similar bail application that was brought before it and ordered accelerated hearing of the case, held that no evidence was adduced to show why the court should depart from its earlier ruling and consequently, refused the application and gave the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NLDEA, the nod to proceed with prosecution of both Kyari and his co-defendants in the matter.

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Kyari had secured a temporary relief a month ago after the court granted his release from prison custody to enable him to participate in his mother’s final burial rites, for a period not exceeding two weeks, while being mandated to pay a bail bond to the tune of N50million with a surety in the like sum.

Nwite, who had on May 16, 2023, barred reporters from covering the case of the defendant who is on trial for allegedly tampering with cocaine that was seized from two convicted drug peddlers- Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, maintained that they should stay away whenever Kyari’s case was called up for hearing before the court.

This was after acceding to an application brought before the court by the anti-drug agency in the matter of Kyari, currently facing an eight-count charge preferred against him and four members of his team; ACP Sunday J. Ubia, ASP Bawa James, Insp. Simon Agirigba and Insp. John Nuhu citing security reasons.

At the Wednesday proceeding, the agency had persuaded the court to walk all reporters and lawyers not connected to the case, out of the courtroom, citing the need to protect identities of some witnesses billed to testify in the matter, with Sunday Joseph, its lawyer, pleading that that some of the witnesses he identified as intelligent officers, needed to be shielded, in view of the sensitivity of the case.

Sunday, Director of Prosecution at the NDLEA, maintained that the application was in the overall national interest, the prosecution counsel said it was observed that members of the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police IRT, who were loyal to DCP Kyari, were always in court to observe the proceedings.

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Kyari, who had twice lost the bid for his freedom at the lower court and Court of Appeal and who also lost the bid to halt the trial, following the dismissal of his application on March 22, challenging the jurisdiction of the court, by the court, had argued through Nureni Jimoh (SAN), his lawyer that the charge was legally defective and premature, because the NDLEA ought to have allowed police to exhaust its internal machinery before it instituted the action.

Owing to the ongoing investigation by his employers, Kyari, whose ordeal started after the NDLEA said he tampered with the drug he seized, had told the court that he could only be charged to court upon conclusion of the internal investigation by the police, which he acknowledge already had an interim report on the matter,

Specifically, the anti-drug agency is claiming that the suspended IRT boss, and his men, unlawfully tampered with 21.25kilograms worth of cocaine that they seized from the two convicted drug traffickers- Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwane- even as it also accused them of dealing in cocaine worth 17.55kg.

The offence was allegedly committed between January 19 and 25, 2022, at the office of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) IRT, Abuja, in connivance with one ASP John Umoru (now at large), contrary to section 14(b) of the NDLEA Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

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