Poland has firmly denied accusations that its nationals, arrested by security operatives in Kano, Nigeria, were waving Russian flags during a recent protest.
The detained Poles were taken into custody on August 6 amid a heated #EndBadGovernance protest, where Nigerians voiced their frustrations over escalating economic hardship. Alongside them, six Spanish nationals were also apprehended.
Peter Afunanya, spokesperson for the Department of State Services, addressed diplomats in Abuja, stating that the Poles were detained “because of where they were found during the protests and for displaying foreign flags.”
However, the Polish foreign ministry quickly refuted these claims. According to a report from Polish news outlet TVP World, the six students and their lecturer were merely capturing the moment through photographs, not participating in the protest.
Report by ThePUNCH indicate that the Polish students, who were on an exchange program at Bayero University in Kano, are enrolled in African Studies at the Oriental Studies Faculty of the University of Warsaw. They arrived in Nigeria on August 1, with plans to return to Poland in early September.
In a statement to the press, University of Warsaw Press Officer Anna Modzelewska emphasized that securing the students’ release is their utmost priority. “Freeing the UW [University of Warsaw] students is our priority,” she declared. “We must do everything in our power for that to happen as quickly as possible.”
Modzelewska confirmed that the University’s Rector, Alojzy Nowak, is actively working to gather more information on the charges against the Poles and is in direct communication with the detainees.
Meanwhile, on Friday, Polish Deputy Foreign Minister, Jakub Wisniewski made an urgent plea to Nigeria, requesting the immediate release of the detainees, underscoring the intensity of the diplomatic efforts at play in this unfolding situation.
On if 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.”
At the time of this report, the Student Affairs and Quality of Teaching of the university, Professor Sławomir Żółtek, proved abortive. Calls put across to his phone number were not answered.
