The Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS) has placed sponsors of the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest on its watchlist. Comptroller-General of NIS, Kemi Nandap, announced this on Tuesday following a strategic meeting led by Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
In line with President Bola Tinubu’s order to crack down on protest organizers, the Defence Chief, along with heads of intelligence and paramilitary agencies, held a closed-door session at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
Nandap stated that sponsors based abroad would also be arrested upon entering Nigeria. “We have diaspora sponsors on our watchlist. 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,” she said.
In response to the protests, the NIS has deployed additional officers to land borders and airports to ensure these entry and exit points are effectively monitored. Nandap emphasized that the Service has increased surveillance to prevent any foreign interference.
Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Yusuf Bichi, also addressed journalists, revealing that the agency had identified some sponsors but withheld further details. Represented by DSS spokesman Peter Afunanya, Bichi noted that certain bank accounts linked to the protest sponsors had been blocked, with the individuals operating these accounts being closely monitored from abroad.