The Department of State Services (DSS) has revealed that it is investigating seven Police nationals arrested in Kano State over their role in the Russian flag being displayed during the #EndBadGovernance protest.
Young protesters in the state were seen during their march on the streets in the state waving Russian flags. The same trend was also sighted in Jos, Plateau State, and in Nyanya bridge, a suburb in Abuja, the federal capital territory (FCT).
Afterwards, the DSS said its operatives arrested some tailors sewing Russian flags for protesters in Kano.
However, the Russian embassy in Nigeria has distanced itself from the display of the country’s flags during the protest.
Speaking during a meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, with members of the diplomatic corps, Peter Afunanya, the DSS spokesperson, said the Polish nationals were arrested in connection with the waving of Russian flags during the protest.
Yusuf Tuggar, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, called the meeting.
Afunanya said the arrest of the suspects was not targeted at Polish nationals.
“For the persons that we have picked up from Kano, it was because of where they were found during the protest and display of the foreign flag in Kano that was two days ago,” he said.
“As a responsible security organisation, we owe it an obligation to do some verification and ascertain basic reasons and circumstances for some cases.
“They were picked as a result of security enforcement because of where they were when the incident happened. It is not a targeted operation.
“As the foremost domestic security organisation, we believe we have to work in sync with all of you who are men of goodwill, and our operations must be governed by democratic principles and protocol that emphasise freedom and human rights and, of course, intelligence and security governance.
“We obey all of this whether we are dealing with Nigerians or foreigners.”
