Former Senator Shehu Sani has revealed that money and Russian flags were distributed to youths in northern Nigeria a day before the #EndBadGovernance protest began.
Gatekeepers News reports that in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday, Sani alleged that this act suggests the protest’s motive goes beyond concerns about government policies.
The #EndBadGovernance protest, which started on August 1, has seen Nigerians demand solutions to various challenges, including rising living costs and insecurity. However, the protest has turned violent in the north, with looting and property vandalism, unlike in southern Nigeria.
Some northern protesters have waved Russian flags and called for President Vladimir Putin’s intervention. Sani believes this indicates an attempt to overthrow the government.
The former senator said the nature of the protest was different in the North because the demonstration had no leadership, unlike in the south.
“What we have seen in the last few days is not a peaceful protest as far as I’m concerned from the northern part of Nigeria,” he said.
“The whole idea was hijacked, and the script changed as far as the north was concerned.
“Those who called for the protest must have come from Lagos or anywhere, but there was no visible leadership as far as Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, and all the states that experienced violence in the north.
“It is a fact that a protest has a rule. The first reason is that there should be a reason for people to protest.
“Of course, there is hunger and hardship as a result of the economic reforms, which are enough reasons for people to protest peacefully.
“Secondly, a protest also needs leadership. When you have leaders, who will lead the flock on the streets. Then, certainly, one of the responsibilities of that leader is to control the crowd and guide them.
“That was not the case in the north. What we have seen, especially in Kaduna State, where I come from, is that people were called out to the streets and then left on autopilot.
“Young people used the opportunity to launch attacks on public infrastructure, snatch motorcycles and phones, molest people, attack banks, and loot public establishments.
“The new dimension to this is that a day before the last protest, money was shared with youths, and then Russian flags were also shared.
“That shows that the whole intent of the protest is not simply about the policies and programmes of the government or objection to the removal of subsidy.
“But there was an attempt to create an atmosphere, where there would be an overthrow of the government. When you have this kind of situation, that means there is someone writing a script for anarchy, lawlessness, and disorder.”
