Owner of Iva Valley Books, a bookshop operating on the second floor of the Paschal Bafyau Labour House headquarters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) that was raided by armed police personnel on the night of August 7, 2024, Comrade Drew Povey, in this interview with National Record via WhatsApp, expresses shock on being linked with terrorism after visiting Nigeria for over two decades. He said the police have made no attempt to contact him either before or after they raided his bookshop. Happy reading!
National Record (NR): May we meet you, comrade?
Drew Povey: I am Drew Povey of Iva Valley Books, a bookshop in Labour House, Abuja.
NR: We understand you travelled out of the country shortly before the hunger protests; did you travel for summer holiday or for business?
Povey: I travelled out of the country on the night of Sunday 4th of August as planned on holiday.
NR: How did you hear the news of the raid on Paschal Bafyau Labour House, the headquarters of NLC and the ransacking of Iva Valley Bookshop located there? What was your immediate reaction?
Povey: Chris Uyot, a Deputy General Secretary of the NLC rang me via WhatsApp just after the police and other security officers had raided my book shop on the second floor of Labour House. I was very disappointed that the security forces could behave like this. The book shop had operated completely openly for nearly seven years and the security forces had never shown any interest, but why should they? We were acting perfectly legally.
NR: You must have heard the reasons given by the police for the raid; what is your reaction?
Povey: Shock and disbelief. It is very strange after visiting a country for nearly 25 years to be suddenly accused by the security forces of being an international terrorist and a risk to the state.
NR: We gathered that Ms Helen Batubo is your partner, and that she was in fact invited by the police. Was her invitation on the basis of her relationship with you or really over alleged “criminal conspiracy, terrorism financing, treasonable felony, subversion, and cybercrime” or because they could not get you? Have you been contacted by the police these serious allegations, and if so, what’s your response?
Povey: To the best of my knowledge, the police have made no attempt to contact me either before or after they raided my book shop. The allegations made against Helen Batubo are exactly the same as those made against the president of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, and equally inexplicable.
NR: Did the police mention any particular seditious publication as alleged or provide any physical evidence since their raids on the bookshop, NLC and your home?
Povey: We have been provided with no details beyond the letter of invitation from the police (IRT). The letters to Joe Ajaero and Helen Batubo were word for word the same, except for their names and addresses.
The police have provided no evidence of their allegations. They cannot have any evidence as their claims have no basis in fact.
Iva Valley Books provided a bookstall at the NLC May Day celebrations in Eagle Square, Abuja earlier this year and last year. I assisted with this stall. Each time a DSS officer came, had a look at the bookstall and greeted us. Beyond that, the officers expressed no interest in myself or my activities.
NR: By saying ‘each time a DSS officer came…’, did you mean to say that the DSS had visited the bookshop before now for some enquiries?
Povey: No, but they visited our stall at NLC May Day in Eagle Square this year and last year. When my partner, Helen, was being questioned at IRT this afternoon, she was able to meet with Yomi, who works for Iva Valley Books. He is being detained illegally by the police as he was detained on Monday evening.
He was badly beaten and is being held in chains. How barbaric is that?
NR: To be more specific, are the police saying the bookshop is a front for a criminal enterprise? I am asking this because I have been to the bookshop a number of times and actually bought some books; among which is Rodney’s How Europe Underdeveloped Africa.
Povey: I have had no contacts with the police. They have given me no information about their allegations beyond the following WhatsApp conversation that I had yesterday and this morning with the team leader at IRT, Mashood:
[28/08, 4:27 pm] Povey: This is Drew Povey of Iva Valley Books.
[28/08, 4:28 pm] Povey: I understand that you want to interview me with respect to an ongoing investigation.
[28/08, 4:32 pm] Povey: I am happy to be interviewed by your team as long as my partner, Helen F. Batubo is not detained when she comes to your offices tomorrow. And, Adeyemi Abayomi and others connected with this case are also released.
[29/08, 8:55 am] Povey: I need your reaction to the above proposal before I talk.
[29/08, 8:56 am] Moshood: Have To confirm with my boss
[29/08, 8:59 am] Povey: Of course. And confirm my identity?
[29/08, 8:59 am] Moshood: How do I confirm
[29/08, 9:00 am] Povey: You ask me details that only I would know.
[29/08, 9:05 am] Moshood: Is your wife coming
[29/08, 9:06 am] Povey: She said she would with Joe Ajaero and Femi Falana by 10am this morning.
[29/08, 9:07 am] Moshood: Alright
[29/08, 9:08 am] Moshood: Professionalism will be in play
[29/08, 9:14 am] Povey: Good, then you will return my books, photocopier and car.
NR: We heard you were accused of being behind the war in Sudan. Was this allegation by the Nigeria police or from outside the country?
Povey: I have no idea where this allegation could have come from. It is true that I worked as a secondary school teacher in what is now Sudan for a year. But this was 45 years ago and I have not visited the country since then.
NR: Since the ordeal, what has been the level of support to Iva Valley Bookshop, particularly from the trade unions and CSOs?
Povey: We have had full support from the NLC, some trade unions and some civil society organisations. They are all embarrassed that an educational institution like Iva Valley Books can be treated like this.
