Immigration, DSS place ‘protest sponsors’ on watchlist, freeze bank accounts

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Department of State Services (DSS) say they have placed alleged sponsors of the #EndBadGovernance protest on a watchlist.

The agencies said the sponsors of the protest reside abroad.

Protesters have taken to streets across the country to rail against a severe economic hardship.

The demonstrations have turned violent in some northern states, with looting and vandalism the order of the day.

Speaking during a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, Kemi Nandap, NIS comptroller-general, said sponsors of the protest would be arrested whenever they set foot in Nigeria.

“We have diaspora sponsors, they are on our watchlist,” she said.

“They are watch-listed, any attempt they make to come into the country, we’ll be notified and they will be picked up and handed to the appropriate authority.”

Peter Afunanya, spokesperson of the DSS, said bank accounts of the alleged sponsors have been blocked.

Afunanya added that some of the sponsors are already in DSS custody.