N igerians, including a former general and ex-diplomats, have expressed concern after some protesters in the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest waved what appeared to be the Russian flag. They warned that this scene did not bode well for the country and urged the Federal Government to guard against foreign incursion.
The nationwide protest, which commenced on Thursday, August 1, was in response to the hardships experienced by citizens in the country. No fewer than 17 people were reportedly killed by security agents, who also arrested many protesters across the country.
On Saturday, photos and videos of protesters in Kano waving the Russian flag went viral as the demonstrators chanted in Hausa, "We don’t want bad government." This raised security concerns among prominent Nigerians.
A lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, noted that the images indicated a growing support for Russia in Northern Nigeria. He wrote, “There is a small but growing support for Russia and a corresponding rise in anti-West sentiment, especially in Northern Nigeria. Some protesters in Kano carried the Nigerian flag alongside the Russian flag, and there have been calls from some participants for demonstrators to bring Russian flags and photos of Vladimir Putin to seek Russia’s assistance."
Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad urged authorities to monitor the situation and take precautions. “This may indicate various underlying sentiments or influences that need to be carefully assessed and addressed by the government,” he added.
Journalist Philip Obaji Jr. commented, “President Vladimir Putin and Russia must be excited to learn that Russian flags were displayed by a number of protesters in Kano in northwestern Nigeria during today’s Enough Is Enough protest to #EndBadGovernace.”
The involvement of Russian flags in the protests has sparked speculation about foreign influence. Russia has been linked to coup d’etats in some West African countries, notably Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, whose military governments have pulled out of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), chaired by President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria.
A social media user, Kawu Garba, called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the incident. “Why are the protesters in Kano raising Russian flags? Is Russia sponsoring protests in Nigeria to cause anarchy? @OfficialDSSNG needs to investigate this,” he said.
Political commentator Kayode Ogundamisi suggested the protesters might be ignorant. “Whichever of the divide that may be responsible for distributing those Russian flags, either pro or anti-protest, that person dey mad. You lot have ABSOLUTELY, no idea! Beware of what you wish for,” he said.
The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said he was not aware of the images but promised to get back to our correspondent. He had yet to do so as of press time.
Security experts have raised the alarm over the presence of the Russian flag. A retired Brig.-Gen., Bashir Adewinbi, cautioned Nigerians against conspiring with external forces to undermine the country’s democracy and security. He described the situation as unfortunate and warned, “A coup can never happen in Nigeria. There can be no coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu. The security chiefs are with him, and he has educated them. We are all united, we are for the unity of the people, and we will maintain it. We will protect our democracy.”
Former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, called on the protest organisers to avoid any external influence. “It is unfortunate to fly the flag of a foreign country during your protest. Nigerians do not want to see a replacement of Russia-backed military action in Nigeria,” he said.
Ambassador Adesola Abolurin, a retired Director at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called for the intervention of ECOWAS. He attributed the call for Russian intervention in Northern Nigeria to the closeness of Niger Republic to the region.
A former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Bola Akinterinwa, suggested that those waving the Russian flag and dancing during the protests might not be Nigerians. “The people flying Russian flags and dancing during the protest may not be Nigerians but Nigeriens,” he said. He warned that the protest could shift towards a more aggressive demand for President Tinubu’s resignation due to accusations of bad governance.
Former DSS Director Mike Ejiofor urged the government and security agencies to take the issue seriously. “In the security circle, you don’t dismiss such negative display. The DSS had an intelligence report that there was a foreign influence in what is going on and that what the protesters are trying to achieve is a regime change. Russia has no business in interfering in Nigeria’s internal affairs,” he said.
Col. Abdulwahab Ademola Lawal, Head of Research at the Savannah Centre for Development and Training, highlighted the potential security threats. “The Russians are trying to create regime security for authority in those places where they are threatened. This is a new trend that we should watch out for. The sentiment of most African countries now is anti-America, anti-France, and they are looking for alternative security architecture,” he noted.
However, the Press Secretary of the Russian Embassy, Yury Paramonov, denied Russia’s involvement in the ongoing protest. “The Russian Federation is in no way involved in the current events in Nigeria. Moreover, Russia does not provide any material or financial support to the protesters,” he said.
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