Nigerian police announced on Tuesday the arrest of more than 90 demonstrators carrying Russian flags as protests against economic hardship continued for the sixth consecutive day. The protests, sparked by widespread economic distress, have drawn thousands across Africa’s most populous nation.
The demonstrations, which began last week, have mostly subsided following clashes with security forces. However, hundreds of protesters remained active in northern states such as Kaduna, Katsina, and Kano, as well as in the central Plateau state on Monday.
AFP news agency journalists and witnesses reported seeing some protesters waving Russian flags, a development that the Russian embassy in Nigeria has distanced itself from.
Northern Nigeria maintains strong cultural, religious, and socioeconomic ties with neighbouring Sahel countries, which have experienced a series of coups and a shift in allegiance from Western allies to Russia in recent years.
Russian flags have become a common sight at rallies in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, and their appearance in Nigeria has triggered strong reactions from officials.
When questioned about the protesters, police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi said, ‘We have arrested more than 90 of them carrying Russian flags.’ Nigeria’s DSS security agency also stated on social media that it had ‘apprehended some tailors in Kano State responsible for making the Russian flags being distributed in the area’ and that investigations were ongoing.
Nigeria’s defence chief, General Christopher Musa, expressed strong disapproval, stating, ‘People supervising elements to push individuals to carry Russian flags in Nigeria, Nigeria sovereignty, that is crossing the red line and we will not accept that.’
The Russian embassy in Nigeria denied any involvement, issuing a statement on its website: ‘The Government of the Russian Federation as well as any Russian officials are not involved in these activities and do not coordinate them in any way. These intentions of some protesters to wave Russian flags are personal choices.’
The protests have turned deadly, with rights group Amnesty International accusing security forces of killing at least 13 demonstrators on the first day of protests last Thursday. The police, however, have reported seven deaths and denied responsibility.
In a televised address on Sunday, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu called for a suspension of the demonstrations. Despite this, protest organisers remain defiant, vowing to continue their rallies until their demands are met.
‘We can’t stop until our demands are met,’ said Abiodun Sanusi from the Take It Back activist group in Abuja. The group is calling for a reduction in fuel prices and for the government to address the soaring cost of living, which has worsened due to economic reforms implemented by Tinubu.
As the situation unfolds, the Nigerian government faces increasing pressure to respond to the economic grievances of its citizens while maintaining order and sovereignty.
