Nigerian tailors who created Russian flags for anti-government demonstrations are detained

Concerns about rising Russian activities in western Africa are highlighted by the announcement from the state secret police that Nigeria has detained several tailors for creating Russian flags that were waved during anti-government rallies this week in northern regions.

In an unspecified post on X, the Department of State Services (DSS) also stated that it had taken some of the tailors’ “sponsors” into custody. It said that an inquiry was still going on. The number of tailors or “sponsors” who had been imprisoned was not stated.

General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Defense Staff of Nigeria, called the flying of a foreign flag during anti-government demonstrations a “treasonable offense” during his security meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Monday.

Musa informed reporters, “We have identified those (sponsoring them) and we are going to take serious action against that,” again providing no further details.

Since August 1, hundreds of thousands of Nigerians have been demonstrating against Tinubu’s harsh economic reforms, which include the partial elimination of fuel and energy subsidies, the devaluation of the country’s currency, and inflation that has reached three-decade highs.

Now that the police have cracked down fatally, the protests are lessening.

Protesters were observed carrying hundreds of Russian flags in the northern regions of Borno, Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina. Some of them were demanding a military takeover.

“Because Tinubu’s administration is not paying attention to us, we are flying the Russian flag. Unlike other countries, Russian presidents always encourage the growth of African nations,” 28-year-old Kano protester Lawal Kodo told Reuters on Monday.

‘NOT INVOLVED’: RUSSIA

Any connection was denied by the Russian embassy in Nigeria.
The embassy released a statement late on Monday stating, “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.”

The demonstrations in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, coincide with growing Western apprehensions over Russian security connections in the area, encompassing nations like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where military leaders have usurped power through coups.

Numerous demonstrators in Nigeria, according to security experts, think that changes Tinubu was forced to implement by Western organizations like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are to blame for the country’s current cost of living issue.

Mucahid Durmaz, Senior Analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, a global risk intelligence firm, stated that “the Russian flags that appeared during the protests in northern states, and the calls for a military coup, reflect discontent over the government’s policies rather than showcasing support for a Russia-backed military government.”