The police has no right to arrest IBB's spokesperson

The warrant of arrest issued against Kassim Afegbua who serves as spokesperson of former Nigeria President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB), could have been hilarious if it wasnt so tragic.

On Sunday, February 4, 2018, news platforms across the country were served with a carefully worded statement on the state of the nation, purportedly authored by IBB. Within minutes, another statement was issued from the IBB camp, denying the first.

Pronto, Afegbua who served in the Edo State cabinet until recently, appeared on national TV to say the first statement had the express permission of IBB and the Minna Prince was standing by it.

Standing their grounds

Afegbua has stood his grounds since. IBB has issued no counter statement since.

However, in a bizarre twist to what has been a confusing state of affairs since Sunday, the police has issued a warrant of arrest on Afegbua who we understand is currently out of the country.

It's been three days now and the police boss, Ibrahim Idris, hasn't denied the warrant of arrest against Afegbua. Which begs the question, why exactly does the police want to arrest Afegbua?

IBB himself hasn't denied that the first statement issued in his name didn't have his blessings or imprimatur. If anything, the former military dictator has doubled down on the views expressed in that first statement, according to a report by ThisDay newspaper.

ALSO READ: How IBB dribbled Nigerians like the Maradona he is

Arrest for expressing opinion?

Why arrest a spokesperson for merely doing his job? In any case, the series of IBB statements issued last weekend were neither a threat to public peace nor national security. This was an interventionist statement that had the public good and nationhood at its core - at least on the surface. So, why is Afegbua being made the fall guy for a statement that was patently innocuous?

Even if Afegbua issued the first statement without IBB's say so, why should he be arrested for merely expressing an opinion?

Like every Nigerian, Afegbua's rights to speak, associate and walk freely are enshrined in the constitution. From where we sit, the spokesperson has committed no crime and shouldn't be hounded by law enforcement.

IBB should be the one who has a problem with Afegbua and who should decide his fate. If he didn't author the statement which Afegbua claims he did, then IBB should sack his spokesperson.

Nigeria and law enforcement have no right to decide what happens in the IBB office.

Like they say, this is a family affair.