On Monday evening, the Nigerian police arrested Adeyemi Abayomi Abiodun, an employee at Iva Valley Bookshop in Abuja, over alleged connections to the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The police also froze his bank accounts as part of a broader investigation.
Abiodun, who works for Mr. Drew Povey, owner of the bookshop located at the Labour House, was picked up around 6 pm by the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
The arrest follows recent raids on Povey’s home and other locations linked to the protests.
Abiodun, who worked at the Iva Valley Bookshop managed by Drew Povey, was taken into police custody by the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT).
According to sources, Abiodun was picked up around 6 PM on Monday, and the police also confiscated his laptop and his wife’s phone.
Owners say the Iva Valley Bookshop, a non-profit organisation, has been operating since 2017. The shop was set up to provide affordable books to trade unionists and civil society members, with many books brought in from London.
Iva Valley Bookshop has responded to the accusations, asserting that they are baseless. According to a source from the bookshop, “The shop operated openly for the last seven years, providing books on various subjects including trade unionism, environmentalism, and feminism.
“The recent raid and removal of books have no basis in fact and are an attempt to undermine our work.”
The arrest comes after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered the freezing of bank accounts belonging to 32 individuals and companies allegedly linked to the protests. This includes accounts connected to Abiodun.
The court’s decision is part of an ongoing investigation into accusations of criminal activities related to the protests.
Police have also raided other locations, including the home of Helen Batubo, a school principal with ties to Povey. Authorities are investigating allegations of terrorism financing and other serious charges related to the protests.
