The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, on Wednesday, declared that the Federal Government will not tolerate foreign interference in its internal affairs.
This is as the Federal Government has launched an investigation into the violence that occurred during the protest nationwide.
Tuggar stated this in Abuja while briefing the diplomatic community on the recent nationwide protest at a meeting held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
He stated that the government will take action against anyone, domestic or foreign, who funded these protests that bedeviled the country since Thursday, last week.
Following the #EndBadGovernance protests in parts of the country, some protesters were seen flying foreign flags, notable among them was Russian flags.
On Tuesday, the police announced the arrest of foreign nationals suspected of sponsoring protests in the country. The #EndBadGovernance protests, which began as demonstrations against hardship and hunger, took a contentious turn on Monday.
In several Northern states, protesters displayed Russian flags while chanting “Tinubu must go.”
According to the minister, “While the government continues to work hard through various reform programmes to address the challenges facing Nigeria and Nigerians, it is important to remind everyone that no nation tolerates foreign interference in its domestic affairs. Nigeria is no exception.
“The government will take appropriate action against any foreign entity in Nigeria found to have directly or indirectly supported the protesters or sought to interfere in the country’s internal affairs. Nigeria values cordial relationships with your countries and organisations and will not undermine these relationships.”
Tuggar also highlighted the government’s efforts to enhance socio-economic development, including reducing debt servicing from 97% to 68% and implementing measures to ensure food security, job creation, and investment.
The minister maintained that recent narratives on social media have threatened the nation’s peace and stability but assured diplomats that the Nigerian government remains committed to protecting both members of the diplomatic corps and Nigerians, in line with international laws.
Meanwhile, at the event, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the Tinubu administration’s primary focus is not to impose hardship on Nigerians but to correct poor policies and dysfunctional choices that have historically hindered Nigeria’s progress, with bold and effective solutions.
He said President Tinubu is determined to implement reforms that would drive sustainable growth and improve the quality of life for all citizens, stressing that the current challenges are only temporary.
“It is important to kick off on this note: that President Tinubu did not come to office to cause hardship or make life difficult for Nigerians.
“He has come to office with bold solutions to historical problems; with the determination to correct many of the poor policies and dysfunctional choices that have held us back as a nation for decades.
“The president assumed office during one of Nigeria’s most challenging periods in its history, where the country was spending 97% of all its revenue on debt service; coupled with widespread poverty, rising unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure, and insecurity.
“Faced with these daunting realities, the administration took decisive action and implemented long-overdue reforms to save the economy from collapse,” he said.
The minister said for decades, the costly, wasteful and unsustainable fuel subsidy regime had denied Nigeria the opportunity to invest in critical infrastructure, social service, and the welfare of its citizens, hence the president took a very painful decision to abolish the fuel subsidy and redirect the funds towards critical sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security, which directly impact citizens’ well-being and the development of the country.
He said the president was not under any illusion that the withdrawal of fuel subsidy and the harmonisation of foreign exchange rates would not come with some transitional pains – situation that informed the decision of the Federal Government to design comprehensive intervention programmes to cushion the transitional pains.
“We have been very determined about ensuring that these interventions are fully implemented, and bring the intended relief to Nigerians,” he stated.
While speaking on the nationwide protest, the minister said the government respects the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, which are cornerstones of all democratic societies, but stressed that what began as a peaceful protest in some states and the Federal Capital Territory was soon hijacked by elements who infiltrated the protest and orchestrated violent activities that destroyed lives and properties.
“There were reports of arson, vandalism, looting, and clashes with law enforcement agents in several cities. Tragically, these incidents led to the loss of innocent lives and significant damage to properties.
“In response to these unforeseen events, the Federal Government acted swiftly to restore peace and order. It is important to emphasise that the security forces were instructed to exercise maximum restraint and adhere to international standards in managing civil protests.
“They have indeed put in a lot of work to ensure the safety of all law-abiding Nigerians, and to maintain order, in the last week. But they have also been decisive in their response to criminality, and it is important to separate these from their commendable approach to legitimate protests,” he said.
Idris, who assured the diplomatic community that the worst is over, said the Federal Government has launched an investigation into the violence that occurred during the protest in order to identify and bring to justice all those responsible.
“We are committed to preventing the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents in the future,” he said.
