A former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, says those carrying the ‘Russilan’ flag during the nationwide hardship protest in Kano are mainly Nigeriens.

He said “the foreigners” displayed the Russian flag to register their displeasure at the position of the Nigerian government and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) chaired by President Bola Tinubu against the military takeover in Niger.

The display of the Russian flag during the protest which started on Thursday gained momentum on Monday in Kano, leading to a crackdown on the brains behind the trend.

A man believed to be producing the flag was among those arrested by security agents.

Prof Akinterinwa, in an interview with Daily Trust, said the waving of the Russian flag was a warning to the Nigerian government to be more conscious.

He said, “Those who are carrying the Russian flag, what does it mean to them? I’m not sure they know anything beyond the fact that they are supporting Russia rather than the West. Are the carriers Nigerians from Kano? My position is that, far from it, they are not likely to be Nigerians. It is only when you consider them Nigerians that you can seriously be more concerned about the implications.

“There is a porous border between Nigeria and Niger, and you have the same ethnic community on both sides of the border; there is no true border between Nigeria and Niger. Consequently, all those who are carrying the Russian flag are basically from Niger. They only came to Kano. These are basically foreigners taking advantage to tell the government of Nigeria that Nigeriens are in support of the military junta.”

The diplomat further warned that the incident could pit Nigeria against Ukraine, which is at war with Russia, and throw Nigeria into crisis.

“The government of Nigeria is not likely to be taken seriously by Niger because they see Nigeria as a disappointment.

There is a need to explore citizen diplomacy, whereby citizens of the two countries come together and resolve not to be divided by foreign interests.

“The Russian flag is a notice to Tinubu government to be more conscious. It’s a warning. Ukraine is at war with Russia, but does not have a war with Mali. But knowing full well that Wagner (a Russian mercenary) is a major war ally for Russia, Ukraine decided to take a war to Mali.

“By implication, they (Israelis) are saying anywhere you find Russia, we can go there and attack. If people are carrying Russian flags in Nigeria, we can expect the anger of the Ukrainian government as well, the same way Israel is attacking its enemies anywhere in the world. So, we need to tread more cautiously,” he added. (Text, excluding headline: Daily Trust)

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