BY MYKE UZENDU
Following the detention of foreigners in connection with the flying of Russian flag in some states of the north during the recent #EndBadGovernance# protest, Poland said that its nationals arrested by the Department of State Security (DSS) were merely taking pictures and not involved in the protest.
Some Polish and Spanish nationals were arrested on August 6 in Kano on the allegation of displaying Russian flags during the #EndBadGovernance protest held by some Nigerians against economic hardship in the country.
The spokesperson for the Department of State Services, Peter Afunanya, at a meeting with the diplomatic community in Abuja, said the Poles were arrested “because of where they were found during the protests and for displaying foreign flags.”
However, the Polish foreign ministry denied the allegation.
A Polish international news network, TVP World, reported the Ministry as saying that the six students and their lecturer did not participate in the protest but “merely took photos.”
The Poles were said to be students of African Studies at the Oriental Studies Faculty, University of Warsaw.
They left Poland for Nigeria on August 1 and were scheduled to return to their country early September.
The University of Warsaw Press Officer, Anna Modzelewska, said getting the students released was the top priority of the institution.
Modzelewska was quoted by TVP World as saying, “Freeing the UW [University of Warsaw] students is our priority. “We must do everything in our power for that to happen as quickly as possible.”
She added that information was being gathered on the charges against the Poles, disclosing that the University’s Rector, Alojzy Nowak, was in contact with the detainees.
The Polish government, through its Deputy Foreign Minister, Jakub Wisniewski, had on Friday pleaded with Nigeria to release the detainees.
On the allegation that they waved the Russian flag, he said, “I personally find this claim hard to believe. We are urging for their safe return home, where their loved ones are anxiously waiting for them.”
Efforts by our correspondents to speak with the Student Affairs and Quality of Teaching officer of the university, Professor Sławomir Żółtek, proved abortive. Calls put across to his phone number were not answered.
Meanwhile, former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Bola Akinterinwa has asked the Polish authorities to be patient.
He said, “The Polish government has to be patient and allow the investigation to be completed. The fact is that the security forces did not go to the school to arrest the students; they were picked up along the street during the protest and it is in the right place for the Nigerian government to investigate. It is only after investigation and they (Polish government) feel that the students didn’t get justice that they can intervene. Will they release the foreign students and not release Nigerians arrested?”
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Poland, Omooba Ayoola, has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to release the six students and their lecturer.
Ayoola, who is based in Warsaw, begged Tinubu to use his good offices to facilitate the release of the students and their lecturer in the spirit of deepening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
In a statement on Saturday, Ayoola said, ‘’It is regretted that the Polish nationals were found at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
“However, these students are said to be in the country for academic exchange programmes and we should guide against what can hinder deeper academic cooperation in between the two countries.
“I, therefore, plead that in the spirit of deeper bilateral cooperation, President Tinubu should please passionately look into this disturbing issue and help these students to regain their freedom so that they can focus on their primary purpose of coming to Nigeria”
This is even as one of the groups that organized the #EndBadGovernance protest has issued a 48 hours ultimatum to the federal government to direct it’s security agencies to release all the detained protesters in their custody
Leader and lawyer to the protesters, Deji Adeyanju, also disclosed on Sunday that 26 protesters and journalists have so far been released from among over hundreds arrested and detained by security agents across the country.
“We have been able to release 26 protesters including six journalists from the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Security, DSS, in Abuja.
“Majority of the protesters released from the cells of the Police and DSS were males, we only got two females arrested and released but other persons were males and are released, and all of these were released unconditionally.”
However, “We have about 16 more protesters we know of. These are protesters in Abuja but there are 100s detained in Kano. In Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kaduna, Jigawa, others we have so many comrades detained but we cannot ascertain the number.”
He also made it known that six journalists that were arrested have also been released, “We have released a lot of journalists that were arrested as well, and they were six in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Kaduna.”
He further stated that, “All journalists that we know of have been released. The last one was released four days ago, he was a support staff of a journalist.”
On the release of protesters still detained across the country, he said, “We are optimistic that the security agencies should be reasonable and release everybody because they have no right to detain anybody over
“We are going to sue them for the breach of the rights of these protesters. We are giving them a 48 hour ultimatum if not we are going to sue them”, he said.
“The President as a perpetual protester himself, I do not know why all of a sudden he has become an oppressor and fast becoming a tyrant that does not have regard for the fundamental rights of protester in a democracy. It is really ironic and sad, and he stands completely condemned.
“On the release of protesters still in detention, the President should mandate and direct that security agencies release all protesters in custody unconditionally, and it is an irredeemable minimum the President should do almost immediately
On the continuation of the protest despite the nationwide protest ending on Saturday August 10, 2024, he said “No date yet but leaders are enjoined to meet the demands of the protesters, address the economic challenges and situations in the country, which was the reason for the protest in the first place”.