Some Nigerians, together with a former basic and ex-diplomats, have expressed fear after some protesters within the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest waved what appeared just like the Russian flag.
They stated the scene didn’t portend effectively for the nation and warned Nigerians and the Federal Authorities to protect towards overseas incursion.
The nationwide protest, which commenced on Thursday, August 1, was in response to the hardship skilled by residents within the nation.
No fewer than 17 folks had been reportedly killed by safety brokers, who additionally arrested many protesters throughout the nation.
On Saturday, images and movies of protesters in Kano waving the Russian flag went viral because the demonstrators chanted in Hausa, “We don’t need dangerous authorities.”
Some outstanding Nigerians raised considerations concerning the safety implications for the nation.
A lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, stated the pictures indicated the rising assist for Russia in Northern Nigeria.
He wrote, “Two points of the continuing starvation protest in Nigeria significantly intrigue me. Firstly, there’s a small however rising assist for Russia and a corresponding rise in anti-West sentiment, particularly in Northern Nigeria. Some protesters in Kano carried the Nigerian flag alongside the Russian flag, and there have been calls from some contributors for demonstrators to convey Russian flags and images of Vladimir Putin to hunt Russia’s help.
“Extra regarding is that these protesters don’t appear to be affiliated with any pro-Russian group; they merely made newbie flags as noticed by @Aliyussufiy who took the primary photograph, suggesting that this sentiment is growing organically. This pattern is more likely to develop, particularly as malign actors could observe and exploit it.”
A former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, requested the authorities to watch the state of affairs and take precautions.
“This will point out varied underlying sentiments or influences that have to be fastidiously assessed and addressed by the federal government,” he added.
An award-winning journalist, Philip Obaji Jr. stated, “President Vladimir Putin and Russia should be excited to be taught that Russian flags had been displayed by quite a few protesters in Kano in northwestern Nigeria throughout right now’s Sufficient Is Sufficient protest to #EndBadGovernace.”
Russia, an Japanese energy, has been fingered within the coup d’etats in some West African nations, notably Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
The army governments of the three nations have additionally pulled out of the Financial Neighborhood of West African States being chaired by President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria.
A social media person, Kawu Garba, referred to as on the Division of State Providers to research the incident.
He stated, “Why are the protesters in Kano elevating Russian flags? Is Russia sponsoring protests in Nigeria to trigger anarchy? @OfficialDSSNG wants to research this.”
Additionally, a political commentator, Kayode Ogundamisi, stated the protesters is perhaps ignorant.
He stated, “Whichever of the divide which may be answerable for distributing these Russian flags, both professional or anti-protest, that particular person dey mad. You lot have ABSOLUTELY, no thought! Watch out for what you want for.”
The Power spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, stated he was not conscious of the pictures however promised to get again to our correspondent. He had but to take action as of press time.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, and the DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, didn’t decide their calls and had but to answer the messages despatched to them as of the time of submitting this report.
Safety consultants increase the alarm
Analysing the presence of the Russian flag, a retired Brig.-Gen., Bashir Adewinbi, cautioned Nigerians towards conspiring with exterior forces to undermine the nation’s democracy and safety.
Adewinbi, whereas talking with Sunday PUNCH, described the state of affairs as unlucky.
He stated, “It’s unlucky that some Nigerians are waving overseas flags in a nationwide protest. Our folks needs to be cautious; they need to not create room for anyone to destroy our nation.
“I have to say {that a} coup can by no means occur in Nigeria. There may be no coup try towards President Bola Tinubu. The safety chiefs are with him and he has educated them. I don’t suppose any senior officer will come out and announce something like a coup in Nigeria. We’re all united, we’re for the unity of the folks, and we are going to keep it. We’ll shield our democracy.”
A former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, referred to as on the organisers of the protest to keep away from any exterior affect.
Farounbi stated, “It’s an unlucky incident to fly the flag of a overseas nation throughout your protest. Whenever you recall that there’s Russian presence in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Congo, one begins to marvel that you could be be having an externalisation or an exterior indication of an inner home protest towards sure circumstances.
“It’s tragic, and I don’t suppose that’s what the organisers needed. Definitely, that isn’t what Nigerians need. They don’t want Nigeria to turn out to be impacted by ideological warfare between the West and the East. They don’t need to see a substitute of Russia-backed army motion in Nigeria.
“It’s unlucky. Maybe, it’s a purpose for the patriotic organisers of the protest to cease the demonstration earlier than it turns into one thing that some folks will take over from them or flip Nigeria to a pawn.
“Those that are supported by this Russian regime have damaged away from ECOWAS to type a separate physique. It’s one thing that different West African nations needs to be cautious of.”
A retired Director on the Federal Ministry of Overseas Affairs, Ambassador Adesola Abolurin, referred to as for the intervention of the Financial Neighborhood of West Africa States.
He attributed the decision for Russian intervention in Northern Nigeria to the closeness of Niger Republic to the area.
Abolurin stated, “This shouldn’t be surprising given the risky state of affairs of that area, significantly since they’re nearer to Niger Republic, so that’s anticipated and, the organisers of the protest ought to have recognized that the protest will likely be hijacked by overseas companies; the place do they get the Russian flags from? They should have gotten them from throughout the border and one will anticipate that folks will infiltrate our border from Niger and Somali and that’s precisely what has occurred now.
“The Russian flags should have come immediately from the border. And the sooner the ECOWAS intervene within the disaster within the area, significantly in Niger Republic and Mali, the sooner they strategy them, attraction to them to come back again to the fold, the higher.
“Already in Kano they’ve the problem of Emirship and this could have put into consideration by safety companies, however sadly, that was by no means completed. They’ve a number of issues already within the North, each little destruction within the North will escalate from the opposite aspect”.
A former Director-Common of the Nigerian Institute of Worldwide Affairs, Professor Bola Akinterinwa, steered that these waving the Russian flag and dancing in the course of the protests may not be Nigerians.
“The folks flying Russian flags and dancing in the course of the protest will not be Nigerians however Nigeriens,” Akinterinwa stated.
He emphasised that the protest, initially deliberate for August 1 to 10, might shift in direction of a extra aggressive demand for President Tinubu’s resignation resulting from accusations of dangerous governance.
The previous NIIA DG warned, “The state of affairs we’ve got now might immediate a coup d’état.”
On his half, a former Director of DSS, Mike Ejiofor, stated the federal government and safety companies should not deal with the problem with child gloves.
“Within the safety circle, you don’t dismiss such damaging show. You’ll recall that the DSS had an intelligence report that there was a overseas affect in what’s going on and that what the protesters are attempting to attain is a regime change. Russia has no enterprise in interfering in Nigeria’s inner affairs.
“We’ve to accentuate our intelligence gathering efforts each the nationwide intelligence company and the state safety service should take a look at these threats despite the fact that that they had highlighted them earlier. Residents should even be safety acutely aware of no matter that’s occurring round them”, Ejiofor stated.
Col. Abdulwahab Ademola Lawal, the Head of Analysis Savannah Centre for Improvement and Coaching stated, “The principle challenge is about regime safety and the Russians don’t thoughts having army coup detat and army authorities on this State, however the US and the Western energy are involved about democracy. The Russians are attempting to create regime safety for authority in these locations the place they’re threatened.
“It is a new pattern that we must always be careful for. It signifies that there are promoters of this new pattern and the affect is urgent down from Niger and Mali to proceed to distabilise Nigeria. Nigeria needs to be frightened by this, we needs to be frightened as a result of it means that there’s an extension of Russian affect in Nigeria now. In the event you take a look at what’s at the moment occurring within the Sahel, there’s a number of Russian affect within the Sahel, they’re already in Sudan, they’re in Mali, they’re in Niger, they’re in Bukina Faso, they’re in Central African Republic, so Russian affect in Africa is increasing, I gained’t be shocked if there are components in Kano who need to gnashed into this query of Russian affect in Africa.
“The sentiment of most African nations now’s anti-America, they’re anti-France and they’re on the lookout for various safety structure, subsequently it’s turning into a pattern throughout Africa. You’re conscious of the Wagner African corps, it’s an affect that basically urgent down on Africa, they’re urgent down on Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic, it’s a new pattern of safety challenges, the sovereignty of Africa is underneath problem by Russia and so we’re returning to the chilly battle period with the problem between the West and Russia”.
Russia denies involvement
However the Press Secretary of the Russian Embassy, Yury Paramonov, denied Russia’s involvement within the ongoing protest within the nation.
He stated, “The Russian Embassy in Nigeria doesn’t have any details about any teams of protesters utilizing the Russian flag or different state symbols of our nation. We’ve not seen such photograph or video supplies and would respect it if The Punch might present us with such supplies in the event that they exist. Even when such incidents did happen, it could be the choice of people. We have no idea why they could have used Russian flags.
“The Russian Federation is under no circumstances concerned within the present occasions in Nigeria. Furthermore, Russia doesn’t present any materials or monetary assist to the protesters.”