Shehu Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna Central, has blamed the violent protests in northern Nigeria during the recent #EndBadGovernance nationwide demonstrations on President Bola Tinubu. Sani alleged that the protests were an attempt to overthrow Tinubu’s government, claiming that money and Russian flags were distributed to youths in the region a day before the protests.
Sani argued that the violence was not solely due to the government’s harsh policies and programs affecting citizens, as the organizers claimed. He suggested that someone was orchestrating the protests to create an atmosphere of anarchy and lawlessness to pave the way for an unconstitutional change of government.
The former senator condemned the display of foreign flags during the protests and warned that the security agencies are ready to protect Nigeria’s territorial integrity and democracy. He urged northern leaders to learn from the violent uprising and work on tackling the region’s endemic poverty, illiteracy, underdevelopment, and religious extremism.
However, the Nigeria Police Force has denied Sani’s claim that #EndSARS protesters are still in custody, stating that no one is being wrongly persecuted for participating in the 2020 protests.