The Nigeria Police Force has alleged that nearly N9 billion was raised by unidentified groups to incite unrest during the recent #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria.
ACP Muyiwa Adejobi, the Force Public Relations Officer, made this statement at the Civil Space Guard Conference held by the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) in collaboration with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Adejobi explained that before the protests, the police had issued warnings about the potential involvement of foreign mercenaries aiming to disrupt the demonstrations, a caution that many citizens dismissed.
“We always receive intelligence. I made a statement on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) that foreign elements would intervene. But due to a trust deficit, people often think we are not truthful when we make certain claims,” he said.
He acknowledged that while some individuals were genuinely protesting to voice their grievances, others sought to exploit the situation for personal gain. “They indeed raised funds — we are talking about N9 billion. I’m sure you were not aware that someone received that money. From that protest alone, N9 billion was generated, and the funds were actually distributed to incite chaos in Nigeria,” Adejobi stated.
The #EndBadGovernance protests, which occurred from August 1 to August 10, 2024, were ignited by the rising cost of living in the country. In southern Nigeria, the demonstrations remained largely peaceful; however, in the north, they escalated into violence, leading to the destruction of both public and private property.
Notably, some protesters in the northern region were seen waving foreign flags, particularly those of Russia, and called for intervention from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
