Police have arrested and questioned former Wimbledon striker, John Fashanu, after an unlicensed gun was found at his home in Abuja, Nigeria.
Reports indicate police numbering about 20 raided former England’s player’s luxurious property in Abuja on Saturday and the weapon was seized.
Fashanu denies the arrest, but said that it was all the handiwork of his estranged wife.
The reports further indicated that five passports were also taken from his expansive Abuja mansion and Fashanu himself was escorted to the police station for questioning.
“I was not arrested, I went to the police station voluntarily,” Fashanu said. “I’ll go back tomorrow morning to the police station. I expect to pay a fine. It was an old fashioned firearm. I don’t actually know what model it is – it’s like a stub gun,” the ex-football star said.
Reports have claimed that the gun in question is capable of firing up to 30 rounds.
Fashanu, who is preparing to fight a bitter divorce case against his estranged wife, Abigail, at Nigeria’s High Court, claimed she called in cops in revenge for him ending their marriage.
He added: “She is trying to do anything to get back at me. They raided my house after she filed a petition with the police. She needs to move on.
“The gun should have been licensed. I made a mistake and I hold my hands up to that.
“I have the five passports because they belong to young footballers from my academy. It’s no problem.”
Police agreed to release Fashanu after detaining his 2014 edition black land cruiser jeep as surety.
It is understood police raided Fashanu’s home after his estranged wife Abigail filed a statement accusing him of having an illegal firearm and a number of young footballers from his academy also filed complaints accusing him of stealing their money.
The raid comes after the star’s daughter slammed his estranged wife – calling her a “black widow” who had him under her spell.
Amal, 27, said Fashanu had turned up at her home with a black eye, claiming he suffered domestic abuse.
And she alleged the retired England and Wimbledon player was attacked at least six times during his four-year relationship with Abigail – including with a glass and a sword.
Amal said, “She has been dubbed the black widow back home in Nigeria – and it is spot on. He was enchanted.
“While they were together I went from seeing my dad once a month to once a year. He vanished from his children’s lives.
“When I called to find out how he was and asked him to fly to London to Fashanu with Abigail
see me, he would just say he couldn’t talk.
“I could sense Abigail was in the background, controlling him.”
