Some of the protesters in Kano who waved Russian flags or saw others do so have spoken about their actions.
A journalist, who embedded with the protesters and requested one of the flags in the Kurna area of the Kano metropolis, was directed to a man later identified as a member of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN)
The journalist, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said members of the Shi’ite group started waving the Russian flags before other protesters bought into the idea.
However, another protester, who identified himself as Haruna told PREMIUM TIMES that he was not an IMN member. He said a man brought the flags to them at the protest ground to spite the Nigerian government.
“I don’t know him, but what is the Nigerian government doing to us? The government must listen to our concerns; they must bring back the fuel subsidy. The only flag that I cannot raise is that of Israel,” Mr Haruna said.
Kano is a predominantly Muslim state with most of the population being Sunni Muslims. Anti-Israeli sentiments run high among most of the Muslim population.
An IMN member in the Fagge local council area, Isah Bawa, acknowledged the participation of the group’s members in the protest and the use of Russian flags but denied that it was an order from the Shiite organisation.
“Shite members took part in the protest like other Nigerians who are hungry but there is no formal instruction from our leaders for members to wave the Russian flag,” Mr Bawa said.
Abdullahi Maishayi, a tea vendor, was arrested by the State Security Service (SSS) on Sunday for hoisting the Russian flag at his tea joint in the Fagge area.
He told PREMIUM TIMES he was released hours later after he denied knowing the person who put the flag there.
“It’s a tea joint, we host all categories of people. I don’t know whether the person who hoisted the flag at the joint is a Shiite because I was not around when the flag was hoisted,” Mr Maishayi, who is not an IMN member, said.
A spokesperson for the IMN, Abdullahi Musa, did not respond to phone calls and text messages to comment on the development.
The waving of the Russian flags in the #EndBadGovernance protests in Kano became noticeable on Sunday and Monday at specific locations within the town.
Hundreds of demonstrators waving the flags on IBB Way in Kano on Monday exploited the relaxation of a curfew imposed by the state government to continue the protest.
PREMIUM TIMES observed that several groups of protesters later adopted the Russian flags in the state, with many saying they had no political motive to do so.
The Russian embassy in Nigeria said the Russian government was not involved in its national flags being flown during the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest.
In a statement on Monday, the embassy said neither the government nor Russian officials were connected to the trend.
The Nigerian government has condemned the waving of the Russian flags and calls for a military takeover by some protesters. The government said such acts are treasonable.
President Bola Tinubu acknowledged that many of the protesters were genuine but failed to make any concessions to them. He refused to reintroduce petrol subsidies and has not indicated a willingness to slash the salaries and allowances of public officials as demanded by the protesters.
The #EndBadGovernance protesters have left the streets in Kano State after the demonstration was marred by wanton looting and destruction of properties.
While the peaceful protesters have withdrawn from the streets, some hoodlums continued to loot stores and residential areas.
On Saturday, the Kano State government relaxed the 24-hour curfew it imposed on Friday to stop violence and criminality.
The Kano government on Tuesday relaxed the restriction on movement to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. after normalcy gradually returned to the state after the violent protest.
