An advocacy group, the Northern Socio-Political Rights Network (NSPRN) said it turned down a N200 million bribe offered by proxies linked to the Zamfara state government to mobilise a protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Kaduna, the group’s president, Mohammed Farouk Lawal, said the offer was made to them through third-party emissaries earlier this week, with clear instructions to publicly accuse President Tinubu’s administration of shielding Matawalle from corruption investigations.

Lawal said the plot was part of a calculated campaign to weaken the federal government’s hold on the North-West by discrediting key appointees loyal to the president.

“We were approached by individuals claiming to represent high-ranking officials in Zamfara. They offered us N200 million to organise a large-scale protest in Abuja, targeting President Tinubu and Dr. Matawalle,” Lawal said.

“The aim was to give the impression that the North has turned against the president and that there is widespread outrage over perceived protection of certain ministers from investigation. We rejected the offer outright.”

He alleged that the same network had already funded previous protests using other groups and was aggressively scouting for new voices to legitimise its campaign.

“They are desperate for credibility. When they realised that our group has a clean record and strong grassroots following in the North, they thought buying us over would amplify their lies. But we are not for sale,” Lawal said.

According to him, some of the terms of the deal included reading out pre-written scripts at press conferences, staging a protest at the EFCC headquarters, and creating viral videos calling for Matawalle’s arrest.

The NSPR Network said the offer confirms that recent protests against the Minister of State for Defence were not grassroots-driven but part of a “state-funded blackmail operation”.

“What is happening is an internal war against Tinubu’s appointees. We have it on good authority that these attacks are designed to cause disaffection ahead of 2027. But this group will not be part of it,” Lawal declared.

The group commended President Tinubu for appointing northern leaders with capacity and defended Matawalle as one of the few former governors actively supporting military efforts to curb banditry and terrorism in the North.

“While some are busy funding protests, the minister is helping to secure our region. Nigerians must see through this charade,” Lawal added.

The group urged security agencies to probe the source of funds allegedly being used to sponsor political protests in the capital, warning that if unchecked, such actions could pose a threat to national stability.