A former lawmaker, Shehu Sani, on Tuesday condemned the violence that trailed the nationwide protests in the North, alleging it was an attempt to overthrow the government.

Senator Sani was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today. He alleged that some days into the protest, money, and some foreign flags were shared among the youths in the country’s northern region.

“A day before the last protest, money was shared to the youths, and Russian flags were also shared. That shows that the whole intent of the protest is not simply about the policies and programmes of the government,” he said.

“There was an attempt to create an atmosphere where there would be an overthrow of the government. When you have this kind of situation, you will see that someone is writing a script for anarchy, lawlessness, and disorder. It is incumbent for someone like us to speak.”

During the protests in Kaduna, Kano, and some northern states, some demonstrators waved Russian flags amid calls for military intervention.

The #EndBadGovernance protests began on August 1 and are expected to last for 10 days. The protesters are demanding the reversal of unfavourable government policies.

The protests have turned violent in some states like Kano, Niger, and Jigawa, and casualties have been recorded. (Channels TV)

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