• Defence chief terms protesters’ action treason
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the nation’s security chiefs to go after sponsors of individuals flying Russian flags and coup mongers.
Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, made the disclosure after the nation’s military security apparatchik briefed the President on the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests at the State House, Abuja.
Briefing State House Correspondents, Musa said the military would not tolerate flying of foreign flags within the country during the protests. He emphasised that the act is considered treasonable and would be treated as such by the authorities.
“Initially, when the protest started they said it was a peaceful protest but we have realised that there are individuals that are willing to take advantage of it to cause mayhem.And we can see clearly what has happened since it commenced. Criminals have taken over with a lot of looting, stealing and all sorts of things happening.”
He said the situation became worrisome as foreign flags were flown within the sovereignty of Nigeria and that was totally unacceptable.
“We are warning in clear terms and the President has also said we should convey the message that we will not accept anybody, any individual flying any foreign flag in Nigeria.
“That is a treasonable offence, and it will be viewed and treated as such. So, nobody should allow himself to be used by any individual,” he said.
He said those flying foreign flags were mainly children who were being pushed to do so.
“We’re following up with those who are sponsoring them. Some people are pushing them because the flags were also made. We have identified those behind it and we are going to take serious action against them.
“The President is clear on his instructions for us not to accept anyone that wants to disrupt the peace and tranquility of Nigeria.”
He said all security agencies were ready to defend democracy and the sovereignty of the nation.
“We will not accept anyone taking any action, for whatever reason, to want to push for any change of government.
“Democracy is what we stand for, democracy is what we will continue to defend,” he said.
The CDS said he had earlier stated that the military would step in if the protests got out of hand.
“You can see that some subversive elements are pushing individuals to carry Russian flags in Nigeria; that is crossing the red line, and we will not accept that.”
President Tinubu had in a national broadcast on Sunday pleaded with organisers of the nationwide protest to suspend the action as it had gone violent in some states with the attendant loss of lives and destruction of property.
He also warned that he would not sit and watch some people used by opposition politicians to truncate democracy in the country.
In response to recent allegations that soldiers participated in looting during the ongoing protests, Musa clarified that the claims were unfounded and based on misconceptions.
“We have investigated thoroughly, and there is nothing to support the idea that any member of the Armed Forces was involved in such activities.”
He emphasised that soldiers were present to restore order and clear areas of unrest, not to engage in criminal behaviour.
“I think it has been cleared, I think it was also a misconception. They actually have seen those things and they wanted to clear them away from that area and that’s what was done. We have investigated thoroughly, the Chief of army Staff is here, we have investigated thoroughly and there is nothing like that; no member of the Armed Forces was involved in doing that, and it’s very clear.”
At the meeting were Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Other security agency heads in attendance were Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Major General Taoreed Lagbaja; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar; as well as the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.
Also in the meeting were the Director-General of the Department of State Service (DSS), Yusuf Bichi; Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai; Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Col Adewale Adeniyi; as well as the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Kemi Nanna Nandap.
•Abuja, Kaduna, Kano twist
The five-day-old protest took a new twist in Abuja, Kaduna and Kano when agitators began flying Russian flags.
At the FCT, several protesters, mostly youths, took to the major road that connect Nyanya to Karu, Jikwoyi, Kurudu up to Orozo and Karshi chanting solidarity songs and calling on Russia to come to the aid of Nigeria.
They set up bonfires on the road and impeded movement of motorists and commuters.
The development further brought different meaning to the protest which was initially designed to draw the attention of the government to the economic hardship being faced by Nigerians as a result of fuel subsidy removal and other policies of the government in the last one year of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The development also forced businesses and other offices within the locations to activate panic mood, with some leaving the doors of their business/office locations half-closed preparatory for any eventuality.
In Kano, protesters defied the curfew imposed by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, yesterday, and returned to the streets in some parts of the metropolis.
The protesters marched through some major areas, notably Gadan Lado Roundabout by Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Gyadi Gyadi area and Hadejia Road area in Nassarawa Local Government Area.
The display of the Russian flag was first witnessed on Saturday when protesters took to the streets in Kurna area and eventually clashed with security agencies.
All the major markets in the state, including the popular Abubakar and Rimi Market, and Singer Market, have remained shut since Thursday when the protest began. The markets were protected by security personnel, including soldiers.
Spokesman of the Kano State Governor, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, clarified that the protesters carrying Russian flags were not affiliated with the government.
He explained that the genuine protesters had submitted their grievances to the state government, which would be forwarded to President Bola Tinubu in Abuja in due course.
He also announced that the state government had set up a probe panel to investigate the causes of the violence that lead to the killings and destruction, and identify those behind the acts.
On Thursday, Governor Yusuf imposed a 24-hour curfew on the state but reviewed it on Sunday to a period between 8am and 2pm.
Meanwhile, as at 9am, Police and military officials had mobilised to the locations to maintain peace and allow free movement of people and vehicles.
At the beginning of the protest on August 1, protesters in Kano and some other northern states were seen waving the Russian flags which was a huge surprise to many other protesters from across the other parts of Nigeria.
The protest in Kano and some other locations in the north later turned violent resulting in looting of the government and private properties, thus forcing the government to declare a 24-hour curfew to contain the situation in line with security advice.
But, despite that, protesters in some of the states defied the curfew and continued the protest at the weekend with a Russian flag conspicuously waved at the protest grounds.
One of the protesters who identified himself as Salihu said they had to get the Russian flag in solidarity and to seek the intervention of the Russian President, Putin, to the hardship that the government has inflicted on the people through its policies.
He said: “We were anxious and expectant when we heard the President was going to address the nation on Sunday morning, only for him to completely avoid the issues and was talking about something else. We had expected a promising steps or pronouncements from the President’s speech but we were completely disappointed.
“The speech was empty. He neither spoke nor did the things we were expecting from him as contained in the demands, and that aggravated us to increase mobilisation for yesterday’s protest.
“We believe that the Russian President is the only one that can speak to President Tinubu to return the subsidy on fuel which gave birth to this massive hardship and suffering that we are experiencing in Nigeria. We don’t trust the United States or the United Kingdom because they have failed us, hence we are relying on Russia for assistance.”