Around 40 people were detained in northern Nigeria for waving the Russian national flag during protests against the high cost of living and what they consider to be “bad governance”.
In the midst of this crackdown, army chief Christopher Musa warned that it is a “crime of treason” to fly the flags of foreign countries.
Nigeria saw six days of nationwide protests, in which at least seven people died and more than 700 were arrested.
Protesters have shouted slogans such as “we are hungry”, while a minority were photographed waving the Russian flag and expressing support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to local media, some of these protesters called on Moscow to “rescue” them.
The subsequent detentions are seen as an attempt to stifle any incipient support for Russia in Nigeria, a major oil producer and a key ally of Western powers.
Several countries in the broader West African region – including Nigeria’s neighbor Niger – have moved away from the West and closer to Russia following recent military coups.
Civilian governments supported by countries such as France and the US quickly lost popularity – critics accused them of failing to resolve insecurity, corruption and economic problems.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu came to power in May 2023 after winning fiercely contested elections.
Satisfaction with his leadership has plummeted, with many blaming his policies for the sharp rise in the cost of living.
He scrapped a long-standing state fuel subsidy in his inauguration speech, causing prices at the pump to rise. The measure also had a knock-on effect on the cost of food and other basic products.
Tinubu appealed to frustrated Nigerians to be patient, insisting that his policies would bear fruit.
He called for an end to the protests and held a meeting with security chiefs on Monday to assess their scale.
Later, the army chief, Christopher Musa, said: “We are warning in clear terms that we will not accept anyone, any individual flying any foreign flag in Nigeria. This is a crime of treason and will be seen and treated as such.”
The Russian embassy in Nigeria distanced itself from the demonstrations, stating that the flags were the protesters’ “personal choices”.
“As always, we emphasize that Russia does not interfere in the internal affairs of foreign states, including Nigeria,” he added.
On Monday, the northwestern states of Kaduna and Zamfara saw a massive turnout of protesters.
Kaduna police spokesman Mansir Hassan said 39 people were arrested there, including a tailor who was “sewing foreign flags for the group”.
Around 40 Russian flags were confiscated, as well as a Chinese flag, he added.
A curfew has now been imposed in Kaduna – the sixth state to take such a measure since last week, forcing millions of people to stay at home.
In a statementNigeria’s secret service said tailors were also arrested in Kano state for “making Russian flags”.
“Some of his sponsors have also been chosen. The investigation is ongoing,” he said.
Rights group Amnesty International says 13 people have been killed since protests began last week and has accused security forces of using excessive force against protesters.
Tinubu addressed the nation on Sunday and said his government was committed to addressing the concerns of protesters.
He added that protests had been hijacked by looters in some areas and that an end to the unrest would create space for dialogue.
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