Police begin crackdown on producers of Russian flag, arrest 30

The Nigeria Police Force, on Monday, announced the arrest of one Ahmed Taylor, for mass producing the Russian flags that are being used by some protesters in Kano and some states in the North. It also said no fewer than 30 protesters flying the flags have been arrested and taken into custody. Spokesman of the […]

Police begin crackdown on producers of Russian flag, arrest 30
Police begin crackdown on producers of Russian flag, arrest 30

The Nigeria Police Force, on Monday, announced the arrest of one Ahmed Taylor, for mass producing the Russian flags that are being used by some protesters in Kano and some states in the North.

It also said no fewer than 30 protesters flying the flags have been arrested and taken into custody.

Spokesman of the Nigerian Police, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this to journalists at the headquarters of Department of State Services (DSS) at a press briefing organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).

Daily Trust had reported how more Russian flags resurfaced on the streets of major Nigerian cities including Kano, Kaduna, among others as #EndBadGovernance protest entered its 5th day.

Protesters, wielding Russian flags, were seen marching the streets and chanting different slogans with others carrying placards.

But speaking at the briefing, Adejobi said flying flags of other countries in Nigeria, a sovereign state, is a criminal offence, adding that those arrested and their sponsors will be charged in line with the law of the land for their offences.

“To carry the flags of a foreign country on a land is a criminal offense. We have them arrested. Just this morning, we have arrested one ‘Ahmed Taylor’ from Nasarawa Local Government area of Kano state, for producing a large quantity of Russian flags given to young Nigerians to go and fly.

“For reasons known to him. We are profiling him. We want to get other sponsors like him. As I speak with you, the same thing has happened in Kaduna. Thus, as we started this briefing, we’ve been able to arrest 30 of them with same Russian flags,” the senior police officer said.