Some Nigerians were seen in Kano waving Russian flags amid
the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest calling for an end to economic
hardship. The protest has largely been marred by violence, looting,
and destruction of public and private properties in the northern part of the
country. At least 14 people have been reported dead. Organisers have labelled the nationwide demonstration as ’10
Days of Rage’. In Kano, northern Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre,
pictures on social media showed protesters waving Russian flags as they marched
through the city. The pictures were taken on Thursday—the first day of the
protests. Also, on Saturday, hundreds of mostly underaged youths took
to the streets of Kano, urging Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene in
Nigeria. The crowd defied the 24-hour curfew imposed by the state
government and marched along Bayero University Road, where the Emir’s palace is
located. In Kurna Asabe, Fagge LGA, some of the protesters displayed
placards with different inscriptions calling for a Russian military takeover. The demonstrators expressed a desperate and urgent need for
change, saying the current situation is unsustainable, noting that they would
rather risk death from violence than continue to suffer from hunger and
deprivation. “We rather die of bullets than to die of hunger; we cannot
stay at home and die of hunger,” Auwalu Idi, a protester, disclosed “We cannot stay at
home because we don’t have anything to feed our family—no water, no food, this
curfew—that’s why we are out to protest again. “We are raising the Russian flag because we believe Tinubu
is playing his imperial masters’ scripts—the World Bank, the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), and the United States of America.” Salman Garba, the state police commissioner, told reporters
that some of the youths were hiding under a programme organised by an unnamed
politician at the Nassarawa palace of Aminu Ado Bayero, the deposed Emir of
Kano. RUSSIA‘S GROWING
INFLUENCE IN WEST AFRICARussia has in recent years expanded its influence in Africa
more than any other external actor. Russian engagements extend from deepening ties in North
Africa and spreading its reach in the Central African Republic and the Sahel. One of the demands on the placards raised by a protester in
Kano read “End insecurity”. Earlier this year, Russian military instructors arrived in
the Niger Republic to train the West African nation’s army.The deal was part of an agreement between both countries to
increase cooperation as the West African country, one of the poorest in the
world, grapples with jihadist rebellions. Other French nations in the Sahel battling extreme terrorism
have also turned to Russia for military assistance in the face of growing
dissent against the West. Analysts say northern Nigeria’s deep historical ties with
neighbouring Sahelian countries worsened by porous borders have paved the way
for Russian influence. For 16 years, Nigeria has battled the Boko Haram insurgency,
which has claimed millions of lives and displaced hundreds of thousands in the
north-east region. While the army says it has significantly subdued the
terrorists, citizens argue that efforts to eliminate the armed group can be
improved. In June, a report claimed there is evidence that jihadi
fighters from the Sahel region crossed into Nigeria through the Benin Republic
border.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on Areatatafo.com.ng to reach thousands of our daily users
