About 40 people have been arrested in northern Nigeria for waving the Russian flag during protests against the high cost of living and what they see as “bad governance”.
During this crackdown, army chief Christopher Musa warned that it is a “treason” to raise the flag of another country.
Nationwide protests have broken out in Nigeria over the past six days, leaving at least seven people dead and more than 700 arrested.
Protesters chanted slogans such as “we are hungry,” while a minority of those present waved the Russian flag and expressed support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to local media, some of these protesters have called on Moscow to “save” them.
The subsequent arrests are seen as an attempt to crush early support for Russia in Nigeria, a major oil producer and a key ally of Western powers.
Several countries in the wider West African region – including Nigeria’s neighbour Niger – have turned away from the West and towards Russia following recent military coups.
The popularity of civilian governments backed by countries such as France and the US quickly declined, with critics accusing them of failing to address insecurity, corruption and economic problems.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu came to power in May 2023 after winning a landslide election.
Satisfaction with his leadership has plummeted, with many blaming his policies for the sharp rise in the cost of living.
He scrapped a long-standing government subsidy on fuel in his inauguration speech, sending pump prices soaring. The move also had a knock-on effect on the cost of food and other basic commodities.
Mr Tinubu has appealed to frustrated Nigerians to be patient, insisting that his policies will bear fruit.
He has called for an end to the protests and held a meeting with security chiefs on Monday to assess their scale.
Then, Army Chief Christopher Musa said: “We warn in clear terms that we will not accept anyone, any individual, flying a foreign flag in Nigeria. That is a betrayal and it will be seen and treated as such.”
The Russian embassy in Nigeria distanced itself from the demonstrations, saying the flags were a “personal choice” of the demonstrators.
“As always, we stress that Russia does not interfere in the internal affairs of foreign states, including Nigeria,” it added.
On Monday, there was a large turnout of protesters in the northwestern states of Kaduna and Zamfara.
According to Mansir Hassan, spokesperson for the Kaduna police, 39 people were arrested, including a tailor who was “sewing the foreign flags for the group”.
Nearly 40 Russian flags were seized, as well as one Chinese one, he added.
A curfew has now been imposed in Kaduna, the sixth state to take such a measure since last week, forcing millions of people to stay home.
In a statementAccording to the Nigerian secret service, tailors have also been arrested in Kano state for “making Russian flags”.
“Some of their sponsors have also been singled out. The investigation is ongoing,” the magazine said.
Human rights organization Amnesty International reports that thirteen people have been killed since the protests began last week. The organization also accuses the security forces of using excessive force against demonstrators.
Addressing the nation on Sunday, Mr Tinubu said his government was committed to addressing the concerns of the protesters.
He added that the protests in some areas had been hijacked by looters and that an end to the unrest would create space for dialogue.
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