By Cheta Enyoghasi
Protesters in Kano State, have broken silence on why they hoisted Russian flags to agitate against the federal government.
Edumnews reports that members of the Shiite group started waving the Russian flags before other protesters joined.
A protester, Haruna, claimed that a man, whose identity remains unknown brought the flags to them at the protest ground to demonstrate against the Nigerian government.
“I don’t know him, but what is the Nigerian government doing to us? The government must listen to our concerns; they must bring back the fuel subsidy. The only flag that I cannot raise is that of Israel,” Mr Haruna said.
An IMN member in the Fagge local council area acknowledged the participation of the group’s members but denied that it was an order from the Shiite organization.
“Shite members took part in the protest like other Nigerians who are hungry but there is no formal instruction from our leaders for members to wave the Russian flag,” Mr Bawa said.
Abdullahi Maishayi, a tea vendor was arrested for hoisting the Russian flag at his tea joint, but was released hours later after he denied knowing the person who put the flag there.
“It’s a tea joint, we host all categories of people. I don’t know whether the person who hoisted the flag at the joint is a Shiite because I was not around when the flag was hoisted,” Mr Maishayi said.
Reports have it that the Russian embassy in Nigeria has denied any involvement in the ongoing protest in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government has condemned the flag waving and the call for a military takeover by some protesters.
