PREMIUM TIMES
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.
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