IBB spokesman finally in Police custody

Kassim Afegbua, spokesperson to former Head of State, Ibrahim Babangida, has turned himself in at the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja after

Afegbua turned himself in to the police on Wednesday, February 7, 2018, as promised by his lawyer, Kayode Ajulo, who said on Tuesday, February 6, that he has been advised of his rights and remedies available to him.

The Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, had ordered Afegbua's arrest for making false statements and defamation of character in relation to a statement purportedly made by his principal, Babangida, where he criticised President Muhammadu Buhari.

A second statement had emerged after that one claiming that Babangida had not authorised such a statement, but this second statement has been refuted by Babangida himself in an interview with ThisDay where he stood by Afegbua's original statement.

Even though, according to the Force Public Relations Officer, Jimoh Moshood, there was no official complaint made by Babangida or anyone else, the police deemed the statement to be an act capable of inciting public disturbance.

While addressing the media before he entered the Police HQ on Wednesday, Afegbua said Babangida was shocked by the development of events, and reiterated that he was never a fugitive.

He said, "It will even interest you to know that when I was declared wanted on Channels TV and Nigerian Television Authority, (NTA), my boss, IBB, was the one who called me and said 'Why are they declaring you wanted? Are you a criminal?' and we laughed over it.

"He also asked if I was on the run and if I have been given invitation and he said, okay that is interesting.

"My boss said he heard on the news that they talked about defamation of character and he asked whose character have you defamed?

"So I am very much in touch with him and I am not doing anything out of the blues. He is a man I have been with for the past 14 years as spokesman.

"Even when I went to serve in my state, I was still very much in touch with him. I have said it before that I am part and parcel of him, we are family and so I don't have any cause to worry over anything.

"I am only here personally because I was declared wanted. I am not on the run, I am not a fugitive to the law and as a responsible Nigerian, I feel it was unwise on the part of the police to declare me wanted when I have not been formally invited. So I am here to present myself. I am here with my wife, other family members and my lawyer."

Afegbua sues Police N1 billion

Despite turning himself in, Afegbua has already sued the NPF to the tune of N1 billion in a fundamental rights enforcement lawsuit.

Afegbua also joined Moshood, the National Television Authority (NTA) and Channels Television in the lawsuit for their roles in broadcasting the warrant.

His lawyer, Ajulo, filed the suit at the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Tuesday.

In the suit, the reliefs sought include an immediate end to the alleged harassment being meted against him by the police.

While speaking on Wednesday, he revealed that he has removed NTA and Channels from the suit because there was no complicity on their part.

"It is because I am a media person. There is no complicity, I have withdrawn that of NTA and Channels TV this morning (Wednesday) at the Federal High Court.

"So, I am suing the IGP and the police for infringing on my rights, demeaning my person and maligning my reputation," he said.