#EndBadGovernance: DSS Arrests, Questions 7 Polish Nationals Over Protests 

…FG Warns Against Foreign Interference

The Department of State Service, DSS, confirmed the arrest of seven Polish nationals in connection with the violent #EndBadGovernance protests in Kano.

The spokesperson of the DSS, Peter Afunanya, revealed this when the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, held a meeting with members of the Diplomatic Corps on Wednesday.

The meeting which came on the heels of the August 1st nationwide protest had heads of security agencies of the country in attendance.

Reacting to questions, the DSS representative explained that the Polish nationals were picked up over the display of foreign flags during the protests in parts of the North-West.

According to him, those picked up are being investigated, further assuring that their arrest was not a targeted attempt on Polish nationals.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, a representative of the National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police and the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs.

The Foreign Affairs minister highlighted the Federal Government’s efforts to enhance socioeconomic development, which he says had resulted in the reduction of the country’s debt servicing spending from 90 per cent to 68 per cent.

He added that the government had initiated other interventions to ensure food security, create jobs and promote investments.

Tuggar stated that the past few days have witnessed bad narratives on social media which he said are currently threatening the peace and stability of the nation.

The minister, however, assured that the Federal Government remained committed to protecting members of the Diplomatic Corps, as well as Nigerians in line with international laws.

He warned that the government would not spare anyone found guilty of funding the protest both from within and outside the shores of the country.

FG Warns Against Foreign Interference

The Nigerian government has threatened to take appropriate action against any country or foreign interests that might be behind the ongoing #Endbadgovernance protests in Nigeria.

The protest, in its eighth day today, was spurred by the effects of the harsh economic policies of the President Bola Tinubu’s government.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, who gave the warning while addressing members of the Diplomatic Corps in Abuja on Wednesday, said that Nigeria is a sovereign state and will not tolerate any interference in its domestic affairs by foreign elements giving support to the protesters.

This position of the government may not be unconnected to the reported cases of the protesters waving the flag of Russia and calling on President Vladimir Putin to come to the aid of the Nigerian citizens amid the hunger and hardship ravaging most people in the country.

It was earlier reported that Russia, through its embassy in Abuja, dissociated itself from the protesters waving its flag and denied any involvement in organising the protests.

The protests which started on August 1 across the country quickly degenerated into violence, leading to deaths, looting and destruction of property.

The minister said: “While the government continues to work hard through the various reform programmes and measures to address the challenges facing Nigeria and Nigerians, it is pertinent to remind us that no nation tolerates foreign interference in its domestic affairs and that of its citizens.

“The government would take appropriate action against any foreign entity residing in Nigeria that is found to have directly or indirectly supported the protesters by whatever means, or seeks to interfere in the internal affairs of the country.”

Tuggar, however, stated that Nigeria values her cordial relationship with other countries and organisations and will not do anything to undermine such relationships.

He urged the diplomats to collaborate with the Nigerian government in its ongoing efforts to address the economic challenges confronting the country, to achieve a better life for every Nigerian at home and abroad.

Tuggar also told the diplomats that there is no ‘instant fix’ to the legacy of decay that President Tinubu inherited, adding that the reforms by his administration were sincere and well thoughtout, and would succeed in the long run at creating a better platform for jobs, prosperity, security – and the stable democracy that Nigeria deserves.

Also speaking to the diplomats, Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris asserted that President Bola Tinubu had taken steps to ameliorate the suffering in the land by approving the suspension of import duties and taxes on essential food items for 150 days, to ensure that food prices come down in the short term, even as work goes into ramping up local agricultural production over the medium and long term.

He added that a new Executive Order on Healthcare has also just been signed by the President, which will suspend import duties on pharmaceutical raw materials and equipment, in order to bring down the prices of drugs.