Kassim Afegbua, the spokesman to the former military dictator, General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), has been declared wanted by the Police. According to a statement signed by Mr. Jimoh Moshood, Force Public Relations Officer, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr.Lawal K. Idris, has ordered the immediate arrest of Mr. Afegbua for allegedly making false statements capable of inciting public disturbance.
“He is, therefore, declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force and should report at the nearest Police station anywhere he is in the country,” the statement said.
Mr. Afegbua, over the weekend, signed a statement on behalf of his principal asking Nigerians to vote out President Muhammadu Buhari next year. Within a few hours, a rebuttal personally signed by General Babangida started circulating. Speaking on Channels Television, Mr. Afegbua insisted that he cleared the statement with General Babangida before circulating it. His principal would eventually admit that the statement issued by the spokesman conveyed his thoughts.
Nigeria Police Force Declaration Of Prince Kassim Afegbua As Wanted Person: Our Response
ur client, Prince Kassim Afegbua ‘s attention has just been drawn to a malicious news item on Nigeria Television Authority 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 spelled-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 constitutional provisions, the 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.
