Spokesman to former military president Gen. Ibrahim Babangida yesterday reported at the Force headquarters in Abuja.
Mr. Kassim Afegbua , who was declared wanted by the police, arrived at the Police headquarters around 10:32am accompanied by his wife, lawyer Kayode Ajulo and some friends.
He was wanted by the police to explain his role in the controversial statement he issued on behalf of Babangida, which chided the Buhari administration.
He was let to go after interrogation.
He, however, said the Department of State Services (DSS) has asked him to report at its office in Abuja today.
But Afegbua, in an interview with reporters at the entrance to the police headquarters, said after he was declared wanted, Gen. Babangida spoke to him, saying: “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 had been given an invitation and he said, okay that is interesting. Who is complaining? My boss said he heard on the news that they talked about defamation of character, and he asked; whose character I had defamed?
“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.”
He dismissed the second statement, which Gen. Babangida signed as “unnecessary”.
On the N1 billion suit, Afegbua said: “It is understandable why I will have to extract my own commitment by way of asking the law court to enforce my right because I have a right under the Constitution of Nigeria, 1999 as amended to freedom of association, freedom of speech and dignity and even if anything warrants one being declared wanted, it shouldn’t be in that manner.”
He confirmed that he had deleted Channels and NTA from the defendants’ list “because I am a media person (and) 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“I have withdrawn that of NTA and Channels TV this morning (Wednesday) at the Federal High Court.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.”
