Police accuse wanted Briton of running shady school, but their documents say this

On 2 September, the Nigerian government declared wanted a British socialist, Andrew Wynne, after accusing him of leading an attempt to topple President Bola Tinubu’s administration “and plunge the nation into chaos” under the guise of the August’s nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests. Mr Wynne is known by many aliases including Andrew Povich or Drew Povey, most of which were nicknames from his socialist ideology.

The Nigerian Police Force spokesperson, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, also accused Mr Wynne, 70, of establishing two businesses in Nigeria as a cover for “his subversive activities”.

The businesses are the Iva Valley Bookshop, located in the Labour House building in the Central Business District of Abuja, and the Stars of Nations Schools in Karshi Lokotiye, Karu Local Government Area, Nasarawa State.

The police said they possessed evidence that Mr Wynne financed and issued directives and operational guidance for an unconstitutional regime change in Nigeria.

“He mobilised and deployed several billions of naira to his Nigerian collaborators, urging them to mobilise the public to violently storm police facilities and military barracks, anticipating a bloodbath that will instigate international condemnation of the Nigerian government,” Mr Adejobi, the police spokesperson, said.

To build a case against him, the police, through the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), hunted for evidence wherever it could be. On 19 August, about nine days after the #EndBadGovernance protests ended, the IRT dispatched letters to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Nasarawa State government, requesting information about Mr Wynne, his bookshop and the Stars of Nations School.

PREMIUM TIMES has now obtained a set of documents the police received concerning the Stars of Nations School.

The police submitted the documents to the Federal High Court in Abuja as part of the proof of evidence to support the charges filed against the 10 #EndBadGovernance protesters. The defendants, arraigned on 2 September, were accused of collaborating with Mr Wynne to topple President Tinubu’s administration and levy war against Nigeria.

#EndBadGovernance protest, allegations against Briton

For days in early August, Nigerians held a nationwide protest against “bad governance” and the rising cost of living attributed to President Tinubu’s flagship economic policies—the controversial removal of the petrol subsidy and the floating of the naira.

The protests turned violent and led to the destruction and looting of government and private properties in many Northern Nigerian cities. Some individuals were also spotted in Kano and Kaduna waving the Russian flags. On multiple occasions, the police fired teargas at protesters, and on two occasions in Abuja, live ammunition at peaceful protesters and journalists covering the protests at the Moshood Abiola International Stadium. The police arrested over a thousand protesters, 10 of whom are currently facing charges of treason.

The government said it was investigating individuals behind the Russian flags, leading to multiple arrests, including tailors who sewed the flags and Polish nationals on an academic visit at the Bayero University Kano.

Accusing Mr Wynne of plotting to topple Mr Tinubu’s government, the police declared him wanted and obtained a court order for his arrest alongside two Nigerians –Lucky Obiyan and Abdullahi Musa– accused of being the Briton’s collaborators.

Extensive enquiries

In the letter addressed to the CAC Registrar, the police requested the certified true copies of registration details for both the Iva Valley bookshop and the Stars of Nations school “and any document that may be relevant to this investigation”.

The police also asked the Commissioner for Education in Nasarawa State to confirm whether or not the Stars of Nations school is registered and approved by relevant education authorities in the state.

“Also furnish this office with all registration details, if any,” reads part of the letter signed by Adamu Mu’azu, an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

The police also wrote to the chairperson of the EFCC, asking him to confirm if the school is registered with the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCMUL).

It also asked the Comptroller General of the NIS to provide the police with the details of Mr Wynne’s passport, his travel history from inception of arrival into Nigeria, and “any other information relevant to this investigation”.

If the federal institutions replied to the police requests, their replies were not contained in the court documents PREMIUM TIMES has obtained so far.

Status of Stars of Nations school

However, the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education’s detailed reply was obtained by this newspaper.

The ministry furnished the police with documents about the school, including inspection reports.

The Stars of Nations Secondary School is owned by Helen Batubo. In an interview with Channels TV, she said that she got married to Mr Wynne last year.

The school, located at 10 Sabon Awotapy village, Lokotiye, Karu Local Government Area (LGA), Nasarawa State, was established in February 2021. It is close to Orozo in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to documents seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education approved the school in November 2021.

The approval, contained in a letter by the ministry’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Abdulkareem Bala, approved that the school could begin academic activities for the 2021/2022 academic session.

“The Hon Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology has approved the establishment of Stars of Nations (Secondary), No. 10 Sabon Akowotapy Village, Lokotiye with effect from 2021/2022 academic session,” part of the letter seen by this newspaper reads.

In July 2023, the school wrote to the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education seeking approval for a Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) centre. Ms Batubo signed the letter as the school’s proprietress.

“This recognition is being sought to be effective from the 2023/2024 academic year,” Ms Batubo wrote in the letter, listing the facilities available in the school.

However, the inspection report by the Quality Evaluation Office of the state’s education ministry named Omolara Dada as the school proprietress. The July 2023 inspection report, which contained the list of staff, students, and facilities in the school, also named Patricia Bolu-Uffoegbunye as the principal.

Meanwhile, a review of the Stars of Nations School website revealed that Mr Wynne was named the chair, while Ms Dada was named an administrator.

Ms Batubo’s name was not listed as a member of staff of the school in the “staff disposition list” contained in the quality evaluation report. The police described Ms Batubo as the principal of the Stars of Nations School.

Ms Galadima, the Deputy Director at the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education in charge of Quality Assurance, cleared the school in a reply to the police enquiry on 20 August.

After meeting all the stated requirements, she confirmed that the school was approved for establishment in 2021.

“After careful perusal of our records, it was discovered that Stars of Nation Schools, having met our requirements, was granted approval for the establishment of a Secondary School on 11 November 2021 at No 10 Sabon Akwotapy village, Lokotiye, Karshi Development Area of Karu LGA, Nasarawa State, as contained in the attached copy,” the ministry wrote.

Denial

Mr Wynne denied any wrongdoing in a statement he issued on the day he was declared wanted.

He described the Nigerian government’s resort to “repression” of the protesters as a sign that it was frightened by the protests.

“The mass protests over #EndBadGovernance and #EndHung

er frightened the government. But rather than addressing the people’s demands, the government turned to repression,” he wrote.

He noted that there were widespread killings and detention of protesters during the demonstrations. He called the charges instituted against the 10 protesters in the case, which also named him a conspirator, ridiculous.

“In Abuja, the authorities have attacked the so-called leaders and organisers of the protests. Ten people face ridiculous charges, including treason, mutiny and levying war against the state,” Mr Wynne wrote.

About Mr Wynne

Mr Wynne, a British citizen and longtime resident of Nigeria, possessed the Nigerian National Identification Number (NIN), a copy of which the police have obtained. All legal residents of Nigeria are required to have the NIN to register a telephone line and open bank accounts, among other things.

According to his profiles on the internet, Mr Wynne is an accountant and public finance management expert with experience in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mr Wynne is also an Honourary Associate Professor at the University of Leicester, the university confirmed to TheCable. The role is unpaid, and Mr Wynne is not a permanent staff member.

In an interview with Channels TV, Ms Batubo said she married Mr Wynne last year after a seven-year friendship.