- Lawyers of Kassim Afegbua, spokesman of former military President Ibrahim Babangida, says he will report to the police
T- he IG of police had declared him wanted over a statement he issued on behalf of the former head of state
- Afegbua had issued a statement criticizing President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership and urged him not to run for another election in 2019
Kassim Afegbua, spokesman of former military President Ibrahim Babangida, will report to the police on Wednesday, his lawyer said.
Kayode Ajulo who issued a statement on behalf of the embattled spokesman, said Afegbua is on a trip and will be ready to report on Wednesday, February 7.
Ajulo chided the police for declaring his client wanted without following the rules, saying that Afegbua has known addresses both in Lagos and Abuja and is not on the run.
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The police on Monday had declared Afegbua wanted for issuing a statement on behalf of General Babangida, which criticized President Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership and urged him not to run for another election in 2019.
Babangida disowned the statement and said it was the opinion of Afegbua. Afegbua insisted he had the full authority of the retired General to issue it.
Here is the full statement by Afegbua’s lawyer;
Our 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 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.
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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.
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that Kassim Afegbua, spokesperson of former head of state Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida denied that he was arrested by the police.
Afegbua signed a statement on behalf of his boss on Sunday, February 4 and on Monday, February 5; there were reports of his arrest.
Consider rest - Obasanjo to Buhari - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng