A Nigerian court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for a British national and two Nigerian citizens accused by the police of treason and inciting the military following protests over inflation last month.
This follows the Nigerian government’s decision on Monday to charge 10 individuals with treason and conspiracy to incite mutiny within the military. All of the accused have denied the charges, which are also connected to the protests.
The arrest warrant was issued against British national Andrew Martin Wynne, along with Nigerians Lucky Elis Obiyari and Abdullahi Musa.
In a court affidavit, police alleged that the trio were the “masterminds and coordinators of the recent attempt to destabilize Nigeria and overthrow the current democratically elected government.”
The three individuals were not immediately available for comment. According to the police, they have fled Nigeria to evade arrest, prompting authorities to seek assistance from Interpol.
Critics of the government have condemned the treason charges, describing them as excessively harsh. They accuse President Bola Tinubu’s administration of attempting to suppress dissent as Nigerians face the most severe economic hardship in a generation.
