Federal gov’t blocks N83bn protest Funds, arrest key sponsors

 

Written by Zainab Bakare

 

The Federal Government has successfully traced and blocked a total of N83 billion in cryptocurrency and fiat money reportedly channeled towards funding the recent nationwide protests against hardship and bad governance in Nigeria.

The development was revealed during the inaugural session of the Council of State meeting convened by President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja,

In his presentation,the National Security Adviser,, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed that the government had tracked  fifty million dollars in cryptocurrency, of which thirty million dollars was frozen in four different wallets.

Ribadu explained that four billion naira contributed by various political actors from Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina States, was identified as part of the protest funds.

Ribadu also unveiled that an unnamed European national has been identified as the mastermind behind the proliferation of foreign flags during the protests.

According to him, the individual will soon be declared wanted by the Nigerian Police Force.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Council of State has passed a vote of confidence on President Bola Tinubu, and urged him to prove to Nigerians that his policies will eventually revamp the economy.

Briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, the. Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the nation’s Governors also passed a similar vote of confidence on the President during an executive meeting held after that of the Council of State’s.

Minister Alake, said the attendance of the meeting by past leaders of the country, except Chief Obasanjo, was a testimony to their support of President Tinubu’s stewardship.

He explained the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu’s presentation centred on the recent nationwide protest and assured the Council of the tightness of security across the country.

Minister of Finance Wale Edun, said he had briefed the Council of State on the administration’s macroeconomic policies, whose results are encouraging.

“Any change of government has to be through the ballots and not through the barrel of the gun or insurrection or any other unconstitutional means,” Alake stated while briefing State House correspondents after the Council of State meeting at the Villa on Tuesday.

He added, “Matters of state were discussed in a robust and frank manner. The National Security Adviser was also on hand to present the security situation of the country. He informed the Council of State about the pre-, during and post-event of the last protests, which I do not call a protest. I call it a movement to effect a regime change by force, which was resisted”.

 

Edited by Julian Adetinuyo