The Federal Government has identified at least N83 billion in cryptocurrency and fiat money channelled towards the recently held nationwide protests.
They include $50 million in bitcoin, $38 million of which was locked in four cryptocurrency wallets, and N4 billion contributed by various political actors in Abuja, Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina.
This was part of a presentation by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu at President Bola Tinubu’s first meeting of the Council of State, held at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
According to multiple sources familiar with Tuesday’s meeting proceedings, Ribadu, who spoke on the topic ‘The Nationwide Protest as It Affects National Security,’ also revealed that a European has been identified as the mastermind behind the proliferation of foreign flags during the protests and will soon be declared wanted by the police.
One of the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not permitted to talk on the subject, revealed that local conspirators from Abuja, Kaduna, and Kano have been apprehended.
“In his presentation, the NSA said the government was able to trace $50 million to crypto wallets that were made as donations to the protests. They succeeded in blocking four of those wallets containing $38 million.
“They also found out that some political actors contributed N4Bn to fund the protests,” the source stated.
President Bola Tinubu convened the Council of State meeting to discuss, among other matters, the recent #EndBadGovernance protests, national security, the economy, and food security.
The Council is made up of the President (who serves as chairman), the Vice President, all former Presidents and Heads of State, all former Chief Justices of Nigeria, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and all state governors.
Former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari attended the inaugural Council meeting, as did former Heads of State General Yakubu Gowon (retd.) and General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), who were virtually joined by governors from Abia, Adamawa, and Akwa Ibom states.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo and former Head of State General Ibrahim Babangida (retired) did not attend the meeting.
Tuesday’s gathering comes just days after Nigerians, largely young people, took to the streets of Abuja for a one-million-man march.
The march, which drew poor attendance, marked the tenth day of a nationwide protest against the country’s escalating living costs.
On August 1, the first day of the nationwide protest, rallies devolved into property destruction and loss of life, particularly in the North, with at least 17 people reported dead during the “days of rage.”
