Nigeria: Gov’t alarmed by possible Russian involvement in ongoing ‘hardship’ protests
The Nigerian government has raised concerns over Russia’s possible influence on the ongoing demonstrations against economic hardship in the West African country after about 40 protestors had been arrested for carrying Russian flags.
Nigerian authorities have detained anti-government protestors in northern states for waving Russian flags and voicing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin, denouncing it as “treasonable offense” while threatening to prosecute those who do so.
According to some press reports, Nigerian authorities have detained several tailors for crafting the Russian flags used in the anti-government demonstrations. This move highlights growing concerns about Russian influence in West Africa. The state secret police, known as the Department of State Services (DSS), also apprehended some alleged “sponsors” of these tailors, though details remain scarce.
Protests against bad governance and increased corruption continued for a sixth day in several Nigerian states on Tuesday (6 August), even though the size of the rallies has shrunk. The protests have continued despite President Bola Tinubu’s calls for ending the demonstrations, and warnings that the protestors would face a crackdown from security forces.
The nationwide protests to decry the rising cost of living and “bad governance” started on 1 August before spreading across the commercial capital Lagos and several northern cities last week.
The unusual but increasing presence of pro-Russia support at some of the protests in northern states including Borno, Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina seem to have taken the authorities by surprise. The Nigerian police and the defense chiefs have both warned that the use of foreign flags during protests and open calls for a military takeover of the government is a capital offense under Nigerian law. Meanwhile, the Russian embassy in Nigeria has denied having anything to do with demonstrators arrested in northern states for carrying Russian flags.
