Nigerian Police Detain Abayomi Abiodun And Labour House Bookshop Employee Over Alleged Protest Bank Account Links

Nigerian Police Detain Abayomi Abiodun And Labour House Bookshop Employee Over Alleged Protest Bank Account Links....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

On Monday evening, the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) arrested Adeyemi Abayomi Abiodun, an employee of Mr. Drew Povey at the Iva Valley Bookshop located in Labour House, Abuja…..CONTINUE READING 

SaharaReporters learned that Abiodun was apprehended around 6 p.m. The police reportedly picked him up through a third party after trailing him since the previous morning, subsequently releasing two earlier detainees and confiscating Abiodun’s laptop. The security operatives also seized his wife’s phone.

Earlier reports indicated that on August 21, 2024, the police had raided Drew Povey’s home in connection with the #EndBadGovernance protests and allegations of terrorism financing. A similar raid was conducted at the residence of Stars of Nations Schools Principal, Helen Batubo, in Nasarawa State, also related to the protests.

SaharaReporters further revealed that Batubo had been summoned by the IRT over accusations including criminal conspiracy and terrorism financing. The school principal is the step-daughter of Drew Povey, who operates the bookshop.

In addition, it was discovered that Abiodun’s bank accounts were among those frozen by a Federal High Court order on August 20, 2024. The court’s ruling, issued by Justice Emeka Nwite, was part of an investigation into accounts allegedly linked to the protests. Banks were directed to freeze transactions and detain account holders pending further investigation.

The court order affected numerous accounts across various banks, including Fidelity, Access, FCMB, and UBA, among others. The Inspector General of Police’s application listed several individuals and entities in connection with the alleged unlawful activities, including criminal conspiracy and terrorism financing.

The bookshop, established in 2017 on a not-for-profit basis, provided affordable books to trade unionists and civil society members. It operated openly, with its activities including book sales and business center services. However, recent raids by security agents have resulted in the removal of materials allegedly used to incite the protests.

Sources have stated that Iva Valley Books denies any connection to the protests, describing the accusations as baseless.