Newsone Nigeria reports that the Federal Government of Nigeria led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu placed sponsors of the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests on a watchlist on Tuesday, August 6, 2024.
This online news platform understands that the development was disclosed by the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Services, NIS, Kemi Nandap, at Defence Headquarters on Tuesday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, where she spoke at a strategic meeting convened by the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa.
She said the persons, who are in the Diaspora, would be arrested immediately after they step into the country.
Newsone reports that the Defence Chief and heads of intelligence and security agencies were in a closed-door meeting with a view to implementing the crackdown order given by President Bola Tinubu.
Fielding questions from newsmen after the meeting, Nandap said, “We have Diaspora sponsors, they are on our watchlist. They are watchlisted, any attempt they make to come into the country, we’ll be notified and they will be picked up and handed to the appropriate authority.”
According to her, the Immigration Service has, in response to the protests, deployed more officers to land borders and airports to ensure effective manning of the country’s entry and exit points.
She stressed that the agency has also stepped up surveillance to prevent foreign intervention in the country.
The Director-General of the Department of State Services, DSS, Yusuf Bichi, on his part, said the agency had unmasked some sponsors. But he declined giving further information.
Bichi, who was represented at the meeting by the DSS’ spokesman, Peter Afunanya, said some bank accounts had already been blocked.
The DSS Director-General added that some of the persons operating the accounts were staying abroad and they were being monitored.