The spokesman of former Military President Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, Kassim Afegbua, will report to the police on Wednesday following his being declared wanted.
This was made known on Tuesday by his lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, just as he also faulted the step of the police, saying it was an attempt at intimidating him.
The Nigeria Police Force declared Afegbua wanted on Monday over alleged false statements, injurious falsehood, defamation of character and for act capable of inciting public disturbance throughout the country.
This action of the police is in connection with the statement issued by Afegbua on behalf of Babangida advising President Muhammadu Buhari not to contest the 2019 presidential election in order to allow young and dynamic leaders to take over the rein of the administration of the country.
It would be recalled that shortly after the statement, another one, purportedly signed by Babangida was released dissociating the former military president from the first statement.
The president had since been quoted as standing by the statement issued by Afegbua.
But reacting to the police declaring Afegbua wanted, his counsel said the police was very wrong.
The counsel said neither was Afegbua invited by the police nor was he on the run before he was declared wanted.
The statement by Kayode Ajulo and Co., Afegbua’s lawyer, reads: “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.”
