Nigerian Court Issues Arrest Warrant for British National and Two Nigerians Over Inflation Protests

A Nigerian court issued an arrest warrant for a British national and two Nigerians accused of treason and inciting the army during recent inflation protests. The police allege they masterminded efforts to destabilize the country. Government critics claim the charges aim to stifle dissent amid economic hardship.

A Nigerian court on Tuesday issued an arrest warrant for a British national and two Nigerians, who police want to charge with treason and inciting the army following last month's inflation protests.

On Monday, Nigeria had already charged 10 individuals with treason and conspiring to incite the military to mutiny, all of whom denied the charges linked to the protests. A judge directed the warrant toward Briton Andrew Martin Wynne and two locals, Lucky Elis Obiyari and Abdullahi Musa.

In a court affidavit, police accused them of masterminding a plot to destabilize Nigeria and overthrow its democratically elected government. The accused have yet to be reached for comment. Police claim they fled Nigeria to evade arrest and plan to seek Interpol's assistance. Critics argue that the treason charges are excessive and accuse President Bola Tinubu's administration of targeting dissent as Nigerians face severe economic challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)