Police Detain Bookshop Employee, Freeze Accounts over #EndBadGovernance Protests
The Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) arrested Adeyemi Abayomi Abiodun, an employee at Iva Valley Bookshop, on Monday evening, August 27. Abiodun, who works for Mr. Drew Povey at the bookshop located in the Labour House, Abuja, was picked up around 6 p.m., according to sources close to the investigation.
The arrest was part of a broader crackdown linked to the #EndBadGovernance protests and allegations of terrorism financing. Reports revealed that Abiodun was apprehended after the police had been trailing him since the previous morning. The authorities reportedly seized his laptop and his wife’s phone during the arrest.
This development follows last Wednesday’s police raid on Drew Povey’s home, the owner of Iva Valley Books, in connection with the protests. On the same day, police also raided the residence of Helen Batubo, principal of Stars of Nations Schools, in Nasarawa State. Batubo, the stepdaughter of Povey, was summoned by the IRT over serious allegations including criminal conspiracy and terrorism financing.
Further intensifying the situation, Reports learned that Abiodun’s bank accounts were among those frozen by a Federal High Court order on Sunday, August 25. This order, issued by Justice Emeka Nwite, affects 32 individuals and companies suspected of being involved in the protests. The court instructed banks to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the affected accounts and halt transactions pending further investigation.
The court’s directive has led to significant disruptions, with numerous accounts—including those at major banks like FCMB, UBA, and Access Bank—now frozen. The ruling also grants the police authority to detain account holders or anyone transacting from these accounts.
Reports also uncovered that the bookshop, which has been operating since 2017 on a non-profit basis, was raided earlier this month. The shop, which provided affordable books and operated transparently within the Labour House, was targeted by security agents who removed materials they claimed were used to incite the protests.
The bookshop, which served both trade unionists and civil society members, had been a hub for literature on various social issues, including trade unionism and environmentalism. According to reports, Iva Valley Books has firmly denied any involvement in illegal activities, asserting that the accusations against it are unfounded.
