Nigeria’s security agencies are investigating four politicians from the northern region regarding the use of Russian flags by #EndBadGovernance protesters.
According to multiple sources, these prominent politicians from Katsina, Kaduna, and Kano states played key roles in encouraging the use of Russian flags among northern demonstrators, allegedly to promote an unconstitutional regime change.
“You see, four principal actors have been identified in this issue. They are top politicians from Katsina, Kano and Kaduna and the security agencies are closing in on them,” said one of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter.
“They played prominent roles in the election of last year (2023),” the source added.
Another source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed, “There is evidence of external influence mainly involving the politicians who are conniving with a West African and European country to cause mayhem and promote the use of the flags we are seeing. They want to do here what they did in some other countries.”
The nationwide protests against hardship and hunger turned more serious on Monday, with protesters in some Northern states waving the Russian flag and chanting “Tinubu must go.”
In Kaduna, protesters were seen waving the Russian flag and chanting in Hausa, “Tinubu ze soka’ kaa’sa,” which means “Tinubu must step down.” They also cheered military personnel patrolling the area, shouting, “Tinubu yaa’so’ka, mu’na so soja,” meaning “Tinubu step down, we want soldiers.”
Russia, currently in a cold war with the West, has been linked to several unconstitutional changes of government in West African countries like Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
The Nigerian military said on Monday, August 5, that flying the Russian flag during protests is an act of treason and those involved will be prosecuted. They are also investigating those encouraging this behavior and plan to take serious action against them.
“That is totally unacceptable, that is a treasonable offence, and it will be viewed and treated as such,” said the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, after a meeting of the National Security Council chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Monday, August 5.
The Department of State Services, DSS, announced on X that it had arrested some tailors sewing Russian flags in Kano State and had also apprehended some of their sponsors.
Protesters carrying the Russian flag significantly decreased on Tuesday after state security personnel cracked down on them in several states, making arrests and detaining perceived foreign sponsors.
Kano State Commissioner of Police, Salman Garba, revealed that some foreigners suspected of backing the protesters had been arrested. Following a security meeting with Governor Abba Yusuf on Tuesday, August 6, Garba vowed that the police and other security agencies would act against anyone violating the state’s security regulations.
Garba also announced a further relaxation of the curfew from 6 am to 6 pm.
On the same day, the Gombe State Police Command paraded 10 suspects for waving the Russian flag during the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu held closed-door talks with intelligence chiefs at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday. Although the outcome of the meeting is not known, it is likely related to the ongoing nationwide protests.
The meeting was attended by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, DSS Director-General Yusuf Bichi, National Intelligence Agency Director-General Abubakar Ahmed, and Chief of Defence Intelligence Major General Emmanuel.
Additionally, the DSS said it had identified some masterminds behind the prevalent use of Russian flags during the protests. DSS boss Bichi, represented by Service spokesman Peter Afunanya, mentioned this on Tuesday, August 6, in Abuja alongside heads of security agencies and Service Chiefs. However, he argued that revealing the identities of those involved could jeopardize investigations.
“It’s not just that children are throwing flags or flying flags. If there is more to that, there are some aspects of our operation that we may not sit before the camera and begin to reel out, either because of their sensitivity, either because we are not supposed to say them now, or because there are ongoing investigations. And we may not say things that jeopardise those investigations,” Bichi said.
The DSS chief added that some sponsors funded the protests through monies raised outside the conventional banking system.
“People are using things other than the currency that you know, channels of transaction to do bitcoins, to do virtual currency, to do all manner of things to raise financing.
“We are attacking all of that. The Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, NIFIU, is doing so much. Our directorate for the process of recovery management is doing so much.”
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