Explosive TV Interview: DHQ Denies Declaring Ex-naval Officer Wanted

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has denied that it declared Kunle Olawunmi, a former Navy Commodore, wanted over his comments during a recent interview on Channels Television.

Benjamin Sawyerr, the DHQ spokesman, made the rebuttal in an interview on Saturday following media reports that that Olawunmi had been declared wanted by Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA).

While speaking on the state of insecurity in the country during the interview on Wednesday, Olawunmi claimed that arrested Boko Haram terrorists mentioned names of current governors, senators and Aso Rock officials as sponsors during interrogation.

The retired naval officer, however, insinuated that President Muhammadu Buhari has demonstrated an unwillingness to go after the high-profile politicians for reasons best known to him.

Following the explosive interview, reports emerged on Saturday that the DIA and the Department of State Services (DSS) had declared the former military intelligence officer wanted and were on the manhunt for him.

But the DHQ stated that the current Head of the Department of Criminology and Security Studies at Chrisland University has not been declared wanted.

According to Sawyerr, the DHQ spokesperson, Olawunmi has only been invited to “share his information” with the military.

“There is nothing like that. There is no time that the DIA ordered the arrest of the naval officer. He went on Channels Television and said a lot of things. So, someone in intelligence called him and asked him to come on Tuesday and share his information,” Sawyerr told TheCable.

“The military does not issue warrant of arrest. Only a court can order an arrest. The former officer spent a lot of time at the interview. If they wanted to arrest him, they would have done so. No one invites someone just to arrest them.”