By Kingston Magare
President Bola Tinubu’s government officials remain on the edge about the planned #EndBadGovernance protest scheduled for August 1.
And in a seemingly bizarre twist of anxiety, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, Friday, alleged that foreign mercenaries have been recruited to participate in the march against the escalating cost of living in Nigeria.
Mr. Egbetokun stated in a media chat in Abuja that foreigners are involved in the planned protest: “We have credible intelligence on foreign mercenaries’ involvement in this planned protest,”
“We have been monitoring development surrounding protest threats. While some groups call for violent protests, emulating Kenya’s recent events, others advocate for peaceful demonstrations.”
He added that there were plans to hijack an otherwise peaceful protest by some individuals, which he did not mention. “Some individuals promote peaceful protests with violent undertones, raising concerns about their sincerity. We have our history of violent protests in Nigeria, and I don’t believe we have to look to other countries to note the dangers of unchecked demonstrations. “We commend patriots who have withdrawn from the protest due to the apparent sinister motives and ignorance of those calling for violence.
“We note those who have spoken out against any form of protest at this critical juncture, fearing enemies of our country may be manipulating the process.”
