Leaked Document Exposes British Intelligence-Backed NGO’s Surveillance of Pan-African Voices Including West Africa Weekly

A British nonprofit with ties to intelligence agencies has accused pan-African voices, including West Africa Weekly (WAW), of spreading “anti-Western rhetoric” in their coverage of Sub-Saharan Africa. The claim was revealed in a leaked secret document curated by the Centre for Information Resilience (CIR). WAW’s Editor-in-Chief, David Hundeyin, brought awareness to the situation and shared the document on February 7, 2025.

He noted that CIR is a London-based organisation founded by Adam Rutland and Ross Burley, both longtime employees of the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Cindy Otis, a former CIA analyst, sits on its advisory board. The FCDO and the now-defunct United States Agency for International Development (USAID) fund the organisation. Although CIR presents itself as a nonprofit focused on human rights and countering disinformation, it is linked to British intelligence agency MI6 (formerly the Secret Intelligence Service, SIS).

African Journalists Marked as Threats 

The document Adaptive Country Plan (ACP) details CIR’s monitoring of political discussions in Nigeria. It labels critics of Western policies as “pro-Russia” or “pro-China.” The document names pan-African journalists, anti-GMO activists, and Shell and Bill Gates opponents as threats. It also includes supporters of Nigeria’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

However, Hundeyin is a major focus of the report. His name appears 51 times, with different labels including “blogger,” “controversial journalist,” “anti-establishment journalist”, and “Pro-Kremlin Nigerian journalist”. The report suggests that his work challenges Western influence in Africa and contains “Russian-sponsored misinformation.”

CIR, for instance, stated that David Hundeyin claimed Nigerian President Bola Tinubu was, still is, a CIA asset and was influenced by France to invade Niger. It further recounted:

• In his October 16, 2024, RT appearance, he criticised the BBC for dismissing opposing views as propaganda.
• He reposted an article from BreakThrough News, described as anti-West and pro-Kremlin, on the Global South’s shift toward China.
• His X post about U.S. agencies opposing his FOIA case on Tinubu gained 2.6 million views and 15,000 reposts.
• His role in a June 2023 PlainSite lawsuit against six U.S. agencies over withheld records on Tinubu’s heroin trafficking, which CIR claimed led to social media users nicknaming Tinubu “rat”, based on his X handle, @officialABAT.

A CRUEL SENSE OF OWNERSHIP OVER SOVEREIGN NATIONS

Hundeyin has responded to the Adaptive Country Plan for Nigeria, saying,

The implied sense of ownership over the lives and productivity of Nigerian citizens, which is abundantly evident from the tone of this document, shows very clearly that those who really run the UK are still not over losing their empire.

He also revealed that CIR held a private retreat at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra, Ghana. At this meeting, 10 Nigerian journalists were given copies of the ACP. Each journalist was assigned a task: to publish one article every three months targeting individuals and groups CIR labelled as threats. The organisation reportedly offered each journalist £1,000 per quarter for their work.

Surveillance of West Africa Weekly 

One section of the report focuses on WAW’s reporting on the completion of Tanzania’s longest low-tower bridge, which was completed under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The document specifically cited Hundeyin’s X repost, where he stated, “In the multipolar global order, one side offers war, lies, and sermons. Another offers roads, trains, and bridges,” as evidence of anti-Western sentiment.

The ACP document suggests that CIR sees independent African journalism as challenging Western influence. It raises concerns about foreign organisations monitoring and influencing African media. The report indicates that CIR intends to shape news coverage in West Africa. It funds “fact-checking” programs that can be used to suppress criticism of Western policies.

Hundeyin has described the report as a deliberate attempt to silence independent African voices and control public opinion. The revelations have sparked widespread concern on social media, with citizens criticising the influence of Western-backed organisations on African media and political discourse.

Read the full document here. 

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Confidence Ubani

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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