ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Nigerian Police Force has arrested no fewer than 30 protesters of the #EndBadgovernance waving Russian flags in Kano and other states across the country.
The police also announced the arrest of one of the flag producers, Ahmed Bello with a large quantity of Russian flags in Kano.
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO) ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, at Strategic Communications Interagency Policy Committee, a joint press briefing between the police and the Department of State Services (DSS), at the service headquarters in Abuja, said that the police were on the trail of other suspects, especially the sponsors of such acts.
He said the suspects committed treasonable felony offence by waving a foreign country’s flag in the country.
“So we need to set the record straight. It is important for us to know the true position of things. Again, we have been able to arrest some individuals who engaged themselves in treasonable felony.
“To carry the flags of a foreign country in another country is a criminal offence. We have arrested them. Just this morning, we arrested Ahmed Bello from Kano state for producing large quantity of Russian flags which he gave to young Nigerians to wave for reasons known to him. We are profiling him. We want to get other sponsors like him. As I speak with you, the same thing has happened in Kaduna.
“Thus, as we started this briefing, we have been able to arrest 30 of them with the same Russian flags.
“The undertones of this protest, based on our intelligence before this commenced on August 1, 2024, have begun to manifest. I don’t think the protest should degenerate to a level where a foreign country’s flag will be flown in Nigeria. And it is spreading from one state to another. Are we still having a protest? That is a big question for all of you,” he said.
This came as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested Micheal Lenin, one of the leaders of the protesters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The activist who resides in Apo area of Abuja, was said to have been arrested in his house by the DSS at about 2am yesterday in the presence of his family.
The Director of Mobilisation, Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, who disclosed this to newsmen, said Lenin has been under watch by the security agency on his role in the ongoing hunger protest and bad governance.
“He was arrested in the presence of his family. We are demanding his immediate and unconditional release.”
Lenin had faulted President Bola Tinubu’s broadcast on Sunday. At a press briefing in Abuja, Lenin, said, “We wish to express our sadness and deep disappointment at the latest broadcast by President Tinubu which is his first address to the nation on the #EndBadGovernance protests, after over three weeks since Nigerians started mobilising to take to the streets and after scores of dead protesters and Journalists assaulted.
“Many had requested that the president should just address the nation when the protest was being mobilised and when it started to escalate, but most of us did not know that the president would only justify state violence on protesters and journalists while dismissing the demands of the protesters whenever he decides to speak.
“This, plus the failed attempt to co-opt the progressive and radical language of the protests only shows how much President Tinubu is out of touch with the masses. We, therefore, call on Nigerians to come out in large numbers to continue the protest until our demands are met.
The two-pronged approach of violence and propaganda has failed.
“The violence and repressions are just attempts to silence and control us, and the propaganda cannot sway or fool us.”
