A former British diplomat and ex-director of the British Council in Nigeria, David Roberts, has cautioned the President Bola Tinubu-led government about the planned protests over the rising cost of living, scheduled for October.
Roberts expressed concern that foreign interests could be manipulating the organisers behind the demonstrations.
Naijaonpoint reports that the organizers behind the recent #EndBadGovernance protests, which disrupted economic activities across Nigeria, are gearing up for another round of nationwide demonstrations set to take place in October.
According to Vanguard, Roberts highlighted the potential involvement of foreign powers, stating that external interests could exploit Nigerians’ genuine grievances to create unrest.
He referenced recent comments by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, who claimed that a media outlet in Africa had supported the August #EndBadGovernance protests.
“In light of the wide use of Russian flags in the last days of rage protests and taking this new revelation by the U.S. Secretary of State, Nigeria ought to be very careful about the proposed October 1 protest.
“Nigeria should take more care and alert its citizenry to the truth about such platforms and their agents.
“At a briefing in Washington last week, Blinken accused an African media outlet of working for Russia, contrary to its claim of mainstreaming Africa’s interests,” the former envoy said in a statement yesterday.
Roberts pointed out that during the August protests, there was notable use of Russian flags, which he believes should be a warning sign.
He urged the Nigerian government to approach the planned October 1 protest with caution, advising authorities to raise public awareness about foreign platforms and their agents that could be driving these movements.
Roberts noted that the August protests in northern Nigeria saw several participants waving Russian flags, underscoring his concerns about foreign involvement.
The former British envoy stressed that the government should take proactive measures to prevent any potential unrest linked to the upcoming protests.
Following the August demonstrations against the rising cost of living, the federal government alleged that the protests were influenced by external forces and subsequently charged a British national, David Wynne, along with 12 Nigerians, with treason.