- The EFCC revealed that N9 billion was allegedly raised to incite chaos during the #EndBadGovernance protests, highlighting potential foreign involvement
- Police intelligence warned of foreign mercenaries disrupting protests, but public skepticism about these claims has hindered trust in law enforcement
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed that N9 billion was reportedly raised to incite chaos across Nigeria during the #EndBadGovernance protests.
This revelation came during his speech at the Civil Space Guard conference in Abuja, which the Wole Soyinka Centre organized for Investigative Journalism in collaboration with the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Nigerians protested against high living costs during the #EndBadGovernance protests, which occurred primarily between August 1 and August 10, 2024.
While the demonstrations remained largely peaceful in the south, the northern protests experienced violence and property damage, and some participants even waved Russian flags, calling for intervention from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Adejobi noted that police intelligence had warned of potential involvement by foreign mercenaries to disrupt the protests, but public trust issues led many to dismiss these claims.
“We always get information,” Adejobi stated. “I made a statement on behalf of the IGP that foreign mercenaries would come. But because of trust deficit, people always think we lie.”
The Force PRO alleged that some parties raised funds specifically to escalate unrest, with approximately N9 billion distributed to incite chaos.