Professor Kamilu Sani Fage, a political science expert at Bayero University Kano (BUK), has addressed the recent display of Russian flags by youths during nationwide hunger protests, asserting that the gesture was likely a symbolic act to convey their dissatisfaction with the country’s leadership, rather than a call for military intervention.
In an interview on Sunday in Kano, Professor Fage downplayed the significance of the flag display, stating, “Personally, I don’t believe these youths had any sinister intentions or were calling for Russia to overthrow the government.”
He emphasized that the youths involved in the protests do not pose a threat and are unlikely to have intended to solicit foreign intervention.
Fage argued that the issue has been exaggerated, pointing out that this is not the first time foreign flags have been carried in protests across the country.
“If you look at it critically, most of those participating in the protest are youths, particularly children,” he said, noting that the reaction from those in power was driven by fear rather than the actual intent behind the flag display.
The professor speculated that some individuals might have given the youths the Russian flag to display, while others might have joined in innocently.
“In my view, the youths did it to express their displeasure with the leadership and the hardship facing the country,” he explained.
Fage dismissed the idea that the flag display had a deeper, more dangerous motive, suggesting instead that it was a form of protest against the difficult economic conditions in Nigeria.
He recalled that protests in the past have featured non-Nigerian flags without causing a similar outcry.
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He further noted that groups like the Islamic Youth Movement of Nigeria, known as the Shiites, have carried Iranian flags during their activities without drawing significant attention.
Similarly, the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Oduduwa People Congress (OPC) have displayed their flags and currencies in protests advocating for separate nations, without being met with the same level of concern.
Professor Fage argued that the government’s focus on the display of the Russian flag was a distraction from the real issues behind the hunger protests.
He lamented that attention has been diverted from addressing the economic hardships that prompted the protests in the first place.
“The government should address the demands that led to the protests, rather than fixating on the display of foreign flags,” he concluded.
TheWitness
