A day after releasing his principal’s statement about the state of the nation, Ibrahim Babangida’s spokesman has been declared wanted by the police.
The police spokesperson, Jimoh Moshood said Police Inspector-General Ibrahim Idris ordered Kassim Afegbua’s arrest for allegedly making false statements, defamation of character, and for an act capable of inciting public disturbance throughout Nigeria.
“He is therefore declared wanted by the NPF and should report at the nearest police station,” Mr. Moshood, a chief superintendent of police, said Monday night.
But Afegbua has described the reports of the police declaration as malicious and that he is not on notice of the police invitation.
In a statement released by his lawyers on Tuesday, Afegbua said he is not on the run and will make himself available to the Police on Wednesday once he returns from his trip.
The statement read : Our client, Prince Kassim Afegbua ‘s attention has just been drawn to a malicious news item on Nigeria Television oAuthority alleging that the Nigeria Police has declared him wanted over a statement he issued on behalf of former Military President, General Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR.
Prince Afegbua, is a well known journalist and was a cabinet member of Edo State Government with a known address in Benin, Edo State and Abuja, yet he is not on notice of the police invitation whatsoever, before the purported publication declaring him wanted.
For the avoidance of doubt, there are spelt-out procedures for declaring a person wanted by the Police. The Police or other law enforcement agencies can declare a person wanted if they find reasons to do so, particularly if the person is a suspect in the commission of a crime and is on the run.
The public must know that our client, in discharging his duty to his principal, General Ibrahim Babangida, GCFR cannot by any stretch of the imagination be said to have committed a crime that warrants such negative publicity. Neither is he on the run.
Our client, however, remains undeterred by the desperate efforts of some individuals to intimidate him and bend his will and rights against the Constitution provisions, framework of Nigeria Police Force Act and the laws of the land.
The circumscription of his constitutional right to the dignity of self, freedom of expression and fair hearing denotes that there is a desperate attempt to scare him into submission.
We have advised Prince Afegbua of his right and remedies available to him, as a law abiding citizen of Nigeria, he has elected to make himself available to the Police on Wednesday once he returns from his trip.
The statement released by Afegbua on Sunday harped on the need for a generational shift in Nigeria’s leadership in 2019.
