Nigerian Government Cracks Down On #EndBadGovernance Protest Sponsors

The Nigerian Government has placed sponsors of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests on a watchlist.

The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Services, NIS, Kemi Nandap, made this known at Defence Headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja, where she spoke at a strategic meeting convened by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.

She said the persons, who are in the Diaspora, would be arrested immediately after they step into the country.

ABN TV reports that the Defence Chief and heads of intelligence and security agencies were in a closed-door meeting to implement the crackdown order given by President Bola Tinubu.

Fielding questions from newsmen after the meeting, Nandap said, “We have Diaspora sponsors, they are on our watchlist. They are watchlisted, any attempt they make to come into the country, we’ll be notified and they will be picked up and handed to the appropriate authority.”

According to her, the Immigration Service has, in response to the protests, deployed more officers to land borders and airports to ensure effective manning of the country’s entry and exit points.

She stressed that the agency has also stepped up surveillance to prevent foreign intervention in the country.

The Director-General Department of State Services, DSS, Yusuf Bichi, on his part, said the agency had unmasked some sponsors. But he declined giving further information.

Bichi, who was represented at the meeting by the DSS’ spokesman, Peter Afunanya, said some bank accounts had already been blocked.

He added that some of the persons operating the accounts are staying abroad and they were being monitored.