A former British diplomat, David Roberts, has raised concerns that foreign interests may be involved in the upcoming October 1 cost of living protests in Nigeria.
The Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens had threatened on August 28 in Osogbo to organize a larger protest on October 1 if there is no improvement in living standards. However, Roberts, who once served as director of the British Council in Nigeria, warned in a statement that foreign actors might exploit Nigerians’ legitimate grievances to destabilize the country.
His warning comes in the wake of revelations by U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken that African Stream, a media outlet linked to journalist David Hundeyin—one of the supporters of the August #EndBadGovernance protests—was allegedly a covert Russian intelligence operation aimed at disrupting Nigeria’s stability. As a result, African Stream has been banned from Facebook due to its suspected ties to Russian intelligence.
“In light of the prominent use of Russian flags during the late August protests and considering this new information from the U.S. Secretary of State, Nigeria must exercise caution regarding the planned October 1 protest,” Roberts advised. He urged the government to inform the public about the potential foreign manipulation of such movements.
At a press conference in Washington, Blinken accused African Stream of working for Russian interests, despite the platform’s claims of advocating for African issues. Hundeyin, in an interview with Russia Today, denied the accusations, dismissing them as typical American overreach against dissenting voices.
Roberts also pointed out the display of Russian flags during the August protests in northern Nigeria as a troubling sign. He urged the Nigerian government to take the threat of the upcoming protests seriously and to act decisively.
“As some of the key figures behind the protests are linked to Hundeyin and the African Stream network, Nigeria only needs to look at the situations in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso to understand the potential danger they face,” Roberts cautioned.
In response to the August protests, which were driven by the rising cost of living, the Nigerian government accused foreign entities of backing the demonstrations and charged a Briton, David Wynne, along with 12 Nigerians, with treason.
