[ad_1]
About 40 people protesting against the high cost of living and “bad governance” in northern Nigeria were arrested for waving Russian flags.
Amid the crackdown, Army Chief Christopher Moussa warned that flying a foreign flag was “treasonous”.
Nationwide protests in Nigeria have lasted for six days, leaving at least seven people dead and more than 700 arrested.
The demonstrators chanted slogans such as “We are hungry”, while a few waved Russian flags to express their support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to local media reports, some protesters have called on Moscow to “save” them.
The subsequent arrests were seen as an attempt to stifle any emerging support for Russia in Nigeria, a major oil producer and key ally of Western powers.
Several countries in the West African region – including Nigeria’s neighbor Niger – have turned away from the West and toward Russia following recent military coups.
The civilian government, backed by countries including France and the United States, has rapidly lost popularity as critics accuse it of failing to tackle insecurity, corruption and economic problems.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu came to power in May 2023 after winning a fiercely contested election.
Satisfaction with his leadership has plummeted, with many blaming his policies for the sharp rise in the cost of living.
In his inaugural speech, he scrapped long-standing government fuel subsidies, causing oil prices to rise. The move also had a knock-on effect on the prices of food and other basic goods.
Mr Tinubu urged frustrated Nigerians to remain patient and insisted that his policies would definitely bear fruit.
He called for an end to the protests and held a meeting with security chiefs on Monday to assess the scale of the protests.
Later, Army Chief of Staff Christopher Musa said: “We are clearly warning that we will not accept anyone, any individual flying a foreign flag in Nigeria. This is treason and we will treat it seriously.”
The Russian Embassy in Nigeria distanced itself from the demonstrations, saying the flags were a “personal choice” of the protesters.
The statement added: “We stress, as always, that Russia will not interfere in the internal affairs of foreign countries, including Nigeria.”
Large numbers of protesters appeared in the northwestern states of Kaduna and Zamfara on Monday.
Kaduna police spokesman Mansir Hassan said 39 people were arrested, including a tailor who was “sewing foreign flags for the group”.
He added that nearly 40 Russian flags and one Chinese flag were confiscated.
Kaduna state is now under curfew, the sixth state to do so since last week, forcing millions of people to stay at home.
In a statementNigeria’s secret service said a tailor was also arrested in Kano state for “making Russian flags”.
“Some of their sponsors were also picked on. Investigations are ongoing,” it said.
Human rights group Amnesty International said 13 people had been killed since protests began last week and accused security forces of using excessive force against demonstrators.
Tinubu addressed the nation on Sunday, saying his government was committed to addressing the protesters’ concerns.
He added that protests in some areas had been hijacked by looters and that ending the unrest would create space for dialogue.
[ad_2]
Source link
