In an effort to gain the release of seven Polish nationals who were detained and incarcerated in Kano State during the most recent #EndBadGovernancelnNigeria protests, the Polish embassy has stated that it is collaborating with the Nigerian government.
Six students and one lecturer were jailed; the Polish government has refuted the accusation that they waved Russian flags during the protests. In response to the accusations, Poland’ s deputy foreign minister, Andrzej Szejna, denied them, saying that the people in custody were only taking pictures of the demonstrations rather than holding flags.
Speaking to the Polish Press Agency, Szejna said the students ” found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were not carrying any flags, but It seems they were taking photos and this had been interpreted in this way.”
“Polish consular services are actively seeking their release and are in contact with both the Nigerian authorities and the students’ families, ” Szejna added.
The foreign flags flown during the massive rallies, particularly in Kano, where a curfew was enforced, led to the arrests, according to Nigerian officials who verified the news to Reuters. The State Security Service (SSS) spokeswoman, Peter Afunanya, stated that the Polish nationals were not singled out for detention but rather were held as a means of upholding law and order within the state.
