Foreign
Hardship protest: Nigerian demonstrators wave Russian flag
Some Nigerians, including a former general and ex-diplomats, have expressed worry after some protesters in the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protest waved what appeared like the Russian flag.
They said the scene did not portend well for the country and warned Nigerians and the Federal Government to guard against foreign incursion.
The nationwide protest, which commenced on Thursday, August 1, was in response to the hardship experienced by citizens in the country.
No fewer than 17 people were reportedly killed by security agents, who also arrested many protesters across the country.
On Saturday, photos and videos of protesters in Kano waving the Russian flag went viral as the demonstrators chanted in Hausa, “We don’t want bad government.”
Some prominent Nigerians raised concerns about the security implications for the country.
A lawyer, Bulama Bukarti, said the images indicated the growing support for Russia in Northern Nigeria.
He wrote, “Two aspects of the ongoing hunger protest in Nigeria particularly intrigue me. Firstly, there is a small but growing support for Russia and a corresponding rise in anti-West sentiment, especially in Northern Nigeria. Some protesters in Kano carried the Nigerian flag alongside the Russian flag, and there have been calls from some participants for demonstrators to bring Russian flags and photos of Vladimir Putin to seek Russia’s assistance.
“More concerning is that these protesters do not seem to be affiliated with any pro-Russian group; they simply made amateur flags as observed by @Aliyussufiy who took the first photo, suggesting that this sentiment is developing organically. This trend is likely to expand, especially as malign actors may observe and exploit it.”
A former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, asked the authorities to monitor the situation and take precautions.
“This may indicate various underlying sentiments or influences that need to be carefully assessed and addressed by the government,” he added.
An award-winning journalist, Philip Obaji Jr. said, “President Vladimir Putin and Russia must be excited to learn that Russian flags were displayed by a number of protesters in Kano in northwestern Nigeria during today’s Enough Is Enough protest to #EndBadGovernace.”
Russia, an Eastern power, has been fingered in the coup d’etats in some West African countries, notably Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.
The military governments of the three countries have also pulled out of the Economic Community of West African States being chaired by President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria.
A social media user, Kawu Garba, called on the Department of State Services to investigate the incident.
He said, “Why are the protesters in Kano raising Russian flags? Is Russia sponsoring protests in Nigeria to cause anarchy? @OfficialDSSNG needs to investigate this.”
Also, a political commentator, Kayode Ogundamisi, said the protesters might be ignorant.
He said, “Whichever of the divide that may be responsible for distributing those Russian flags, either pro or anti-protest, that person dey mad. You lot have ABSOLUTELY, no idea! Beware of what you wish for.”
The Force spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi, said he was not aware of the images but promised to get back to our correspondent. He had yet to do so as of press time.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Edward Buba, and the DSS spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, did not pick their calls and had yet to respond to the messages sent to them as of the time of filing this report.
Security experts raise the alarm
Analysing the presence of the Russian flag, a retired Brig.-Gen., Bashir Adewinbi, cautioned Nigerians against conspiring with external forces to undermine the country’s democracy and security.
Adewinbi, while speaking with Sunday PUNCH, described the situation as unfortunate.
He said, “It is unfortunate that some Nigerians are waving foreign flags in a national protest. Our people should be careful; they should not create room for anybody to destroy our country.
“I must say that a coup can never happen in Nigeria. There can be no coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu. The security chiefs are with him and he has educated them. I don’t think any senior officer will come out and announce anything like a coup in Nigeria. We are all united, we are for the unity of the people, and we will maintain it. We will protect our democracy.”
A former Nigerian ambassador to the Philippines, Yemi Farounbi, called on the organisers of the protest to avoid any external influence.
Farounbi said, “It is an unfortunate incident to fly the flag of a foreign country during your protest. When you recall that there is Russian presence in Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Congo, one begins to wonder that you may be having an externalisation or an external indication of an internal domestic protest against certain circumstances.
“It is tragic, and I do not think that is what the organisers wanted. Certainly, that is not what Nigerians want. They do not want Nigeria to become impacted by ideological warfare between the West and the East. They do not want to see a replacement of Russia-backed military action in Nigeria.
“It is unfortunate. Perhaps, it is a reason for the patriotic organisers of the protest to stop the demonstration before it becomes something that some people will take over from them or turn Nigeria to a pawn.
“Those who are supported by this Russian regime have broken away from ECOWAS to form a separate body. It is something that other West African countries should be wary of.”
A retired Director at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adesola Abolurin, called for the intervention of the Economic Community of West Africa States.
He attributed the call for Russian intervention in Northern Nigeria to the closeness of Niger Republic to the region.
Abolurin said, “This should not be unexpected given the volatile situation of that region, particularly since they are nearer to Niger Republic, so that is expected and, the organisers of the protest should have known that the protest will be hijacked by foreign agencies; where do they get the Russian flags from? They must have gotten them from across the border and one will expect that people will infiltrate our border from Niger and Somali and that is exactly what has happened now.
“The Russian flags must have come directly from the border. And the earlier the ECOWAS intervene in the crisis in the region, particularly in Niger Republic and Mali, the earlier they approach them, appeal to them to come back to the fold, the better.
“Already in Kano they have the issue of Emirship and this should have put into consideration by security agencies, but unfortunately, that was never done. They have a lot of problems already in the North, every little destruction in the North will escalate from the other side”.
A former Director-General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Bola Akinterinwa, suggested that those waving the Russian flag and dancing during the protests might not be Nigerians.
“The people flying Russian flags and dancing during the protest may not be Nigerians but Nigeriens,” Akinterinwa said.
He emphasised that the protest, initially planned for August 1 to 10, could shift towards a more aggressive demand for President Tinubu’s resignation due to accusations of bad governance.
The former NIIA DG warned, “The situation we have now could prompt a coup d’état.”
On his part, a former Director of DSS, Mike Ejiofor, said the government and security agencies must not handle the issue with kid gloves.
“In the security circle, you don’t dismiss such negative display. You will recall that the DSS had an intelligence report that there was a foreign influence in what is going on and that what the protesters are trying to achieve is a regime change. Russia has no business in interfering in Nigeria’s internal affairs.
“We have to intensify our intelligence gathering efforts both the national intelligence agency and the state security service must look at these threats even though they had highlighted them earlier. Citizens must also be security conscious of whatever that is happening around them”, Ejiofor said.
Col. Abdulwahab Ademola Lawal, the Head of Research Savannah Centre for Development and Training said, “The main issue is about regime security and the Russians do not mind having military coup detat and military government in this State, but the US and the Western power are concerned about democracy. The Russians are trying to create regime security for authority in those places where they are threatened.
“This is a new trend that we should watch out for. It means that there are promoters of this new trend and the influence is pressing down from Niger and Mali to continue to distabilise Nigeria. Nigeria should be worried by this, we should be worried because it means that there is an extension of Russian influence in Nigeria now. If you look at what is currently going on in the Sahel, there is a lot of Russian influence in the Sahel, they are already in Sudan, they are in Mali, they are in Niger, they are in Bukina Faso, they are in Central African Republic, so Russian influence in Africa is expanding, I won’t be surprised if there are elements in Kano who want to gnashed into this question of Russian influence in Africa.
“The sentiment of most African countries now is anti-America, they are anti-France and they are looking for alternative security architecture, therefore it is becoming a trend across Africa. You are aware of the Wagner African corps, it is an influence that really pressing down on Africa, they are pressing down on Sudan, Chad and the Central African Republic, it is a new trend of security challenges, the sovereignty of Africa is under challenge by Russia and so we are returning to the cold war era with the challenge between the West and Russia”.
Russia denies involvement
But the Press Secretary of the Russian Embassy, Yury Paramonov, denied Russia’s involvement in the ongoing protest in the country.
He said, “The Russian Embassy in Nigeria does not have any information about any groups of protesters using the Russian flag or other state symbols of our country. We have not seen such photo or video materials and would appreciate it if The Punch could provide us with such materials if they exist. Even if such incidents did occur, it would be the decision of individuals. We do not know why they might have used Russian flags.
“The Russian Federation is in no way involved in the current events in Nigeria. Moreover, Russia does not provide any material or financial support to the protesters.”
South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has announced September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, as it staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Durban on Monday.
The group marched through central Durban under the theme, “It’s time to fetch your people,” calling on African leaders attending the 46th SADC Summit to take back their citizens living in South Africa without legal documentation.
March and March had earlier led nationwide protests on June 30, demanding tougher government action against undocumented immigration and warning that its campaign would continue until its demands were addressed.
Announcing its latest action, the group said the September 30 deadline would mark the beginning of what it described as the “mother of all protests”, while urging South Africans to assist the police in identifying undocumented foreigners.
The protest took place as the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government got underway in Durban, with leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states in attendance.
The demonstration has renewed debate over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals, particularly citizens of other African countries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemned discrimination and violence against foreigners, saying South Africa could not advocate regional integration at the SADC summit while practising exclusion within the country.
The June 30 protests were accompanied by security operations and reports of attacks and looting in some areas, according to police reports cited in the original report.
March and March has continued to demand tougher action against undocumented immigration, while tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals have prompted some African countries to evacuate their citizens from South Africa.
The latest protest has brought the immigration dispute directly to the doorstep of the SADC summit, placing the issue before regional leaders whose citizens are among those affected.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, while calling on Tehran to surrender.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing talks between Oman and Iran over future maritime navigation arrangements through the strategic waterway.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said, referring to the discussions between Oman and Iran as Washington pursues its own negotiations.
Iranian and Omani officials have been holding talks for weeks, with Iran’s Foreign Ministry saying Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration on the strait.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is under US control, despite Iran maintaining an effective blockade that has severely restricted maritime traffic.
On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, prompting Iran to insist that the strategic waterway “will remain Iranian.”
Trump also called on Iran to “put up the white flag of surrender,” according to Yingst.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran to the north and Oman to the south, was previously regarded as an open international waterway and carries a significant share of global energy shipments.
AFP
There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the Middle East war, with the exception of a rescue mission in April for a downed American pilot.
Hatami did not provide any details on where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place.
“Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” Hatami said, using an informal unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials.
The war between Tehran and Washington began on February 28 after the United States, joined by Israel, attacked Iran. It was followed by an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, and a June framework for peace talks that later collapsed.
Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.
AFP
The family of Philip Ifeanyi Elobuike, an indigene of Eziama Village, Ebe, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, has appealed to the public for assistance in locating him after his photograph surfaced on social media following nearly two years without contact.
Elobuike first travelled to the United States around 2004 and initially settled in the Los Angeles area of California. He later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Dallas, Texas.
According to his family, Elobuike remained in contact with his relatives in Nigeria until around 2024, when communication with him suddenly stopped. Before losing contact, he was active on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
His family had continued searching for him, and on August 11, 2026, they were relieved when his photograph surfaced on social media. The picture provided them with at least some reassurance that he was alive.
Elobuike Philip
However, contrary to reports circulating in some media outlets and on social media, Elobuike has not been reunited with his family or located by his kinsmen in the United States.
His relatives and members of the Nigerian community reportedly spent the entire day on August 12 searching for him in different parts of Dallas but were unable to locate him.
The family is therefore appealing to members of the public, particularly Nigerians and other individuals in the Dallas area, to assist in locating Elobuike and ensuring that he is safely reunited with his family.
The family also urged people to disregard reports claiming that he has already been found and reunited with his relatives, describing such reports as inaccurate.
Anyone who has information about Elobuike’s whereabouts or comes across him is urged to contact any of the following:
Dr. Fred Ngwu: (214) 418-8145
Moses Onyejekwe: (213) 479-2340
Law Okolo: (646) 302-2597
The family expressed appreciation to everyone who has shared his photograph and appealed for continued circulation of the information until he is successfully located.
No fewer than 205 Nigerians were deported from Canada in June 2026 as Canadian authorities intensified enforcement of the country’s immigration laws, according to official figures released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Immigration removal statistics published by the CBSA showed that 10,607 individuals were removed from Canada during the month, with Nigerians ranking among the top 10 nationalities affected by the exercise.
The figures indicate that Nigerians accounted for nearly two per cent of all removals carried out in June.
India recorded the highest number of deportations, with 3,323 nationals removed, followed by Mexico with 1,573. The United States accounted for 372 deportees, while Colombia and Romania recorded 354 and 293 removals respectively.
Other countries with significant numbers of nationals deported included Bangladesh, with 227, and Pakistan, with 207.
Explaining the rationale behind the removals, the CBSA said enforcing immigration laws was critical to protecting the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.
“Removing individuals who do not have the right to enter or stay in Canada is essential to maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration program and to ensuring fairness for those who come to this country lawfully,” the agency stated.
The latest figures underscore Canada’s continued enforcement against individuals found to have no legal right to remain in the country, as authorities seek to ensure compliance with the nation’s immigration laws.
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