The Comptroller General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nandap, announced on Tuesday that sponsors of the #EndBadGovernance protest in the diaspora have been placed on a watch list and will be arrested upon entering Nigeria.
This was revealed during a combined news conference held by heads of security agencies and service chiefs at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
The conference was convened by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.
Nandap stated, “We have identified some diaspora sponsors; they are on our watch list.
Any attempt they make to come into the country, we will be notified and they will be picked up and handed to the appropriate authority.”
She added that the NIS has responded to the ongoing protests by deploying more officers to both land and airport borders to ensure effective monitoring and prevent any foreign intervention in Nigeria’s affairs.
Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, also addressed the situation, noting that the police had uncovered some sponsors of the protests but declined to provide further details.
He mentioned that some bank accounts belonging to these individuals, many of whom reside abroad, have been blocked.
In addition, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Yusuf Bichi, represented by the service’s spokesman, Mr. Peter Afunanya, confirmed that the DSS is actively monitoring those involved in funding the protests.
He disclosed that the agency is working closely with the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to identify more persons behind the financial support for the protests.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the defence chief led the service chiefs and heads of all security, intelligence, and paramilitary agencies to brief journalists on the ongoing nationwide protests.
The briefing followed a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the security chiefs, which focused on addressing the violence that erupted during the protests across the country.
As the situation develops, the Nigerian government continues to take measures to control the protests and hold accountable those perceived to be instigating unrest from abroad.
