Ex-British diplomat warns foreign influence may be behind Oct 1 protest

A former British diplomat, David Roberts, has raised concerns that foreign interests may be driving the planned October 1 protest against the rising cost of living in Nigeria.

His warning follows a threat from the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, which announced on August 28 in Osogbo, the Osun state capital, that it would stage a larger protest if living standards do not improve.

Roberts, who previously served as director of the British Council in Nigeria, stated, “There is a risk that foreign interests could exploit Nigerians’ genuine concerns to destabilise the country.”

His remarks come in the wake of the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s claims that African Stream, a media outlet associated with David Hundeyin—one of the supporters of the recent #endbadgovernance protests—may be part of a Russian psychological operation aimed at causing unrest in Nigeria.

Following these allegations, African Stream was banned from Facebook due to its purported links to Russian intelligence. Roberts urged caution, saying, “In light of the widespread use of Russian flags during the protests in late August and this new revelation, Nigeria must be vigilant about the proposed October 1 protest.” He added, “The government should alert its citizens to the truth about such platforms and their agents.”

While Blinken accused African Stream of serving Russian interests rather than mainstreaming Africa’s concerns, Hundeyin has denied these allegations, asserting they reflect a typical American tendency to label dissenting views.

Roberts noted the potential dangers of the planned protest, advising the Nigerian government to take it seriously. “As many of those behind the protests are linked to Mr. Hundeyin and the African Stream network, Nigeria should learn from the situations in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso,” he cautioned.

In response to the previous protests against living costs, the Nigerian government had claimed that they were supported by external entities and charged a Briton, David Wynne, along with 12 Nigerians, with treason.