Poland has refuted claims by Nigerian authorities that its nationals, arrested in Kano, were involved in the recent #EndBadGovernance protest by displaying Russian flags. The detainees, comprising six Polish students and their lecturer, were taken into custody on August 6, alongside several Spanish nationals, during a protest against economic hardship in the country.
The Department of State Services (DSS) spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, asserted that the Poles were detained due to their location during the protest and their alleged involvement in displaying foreign flags.
However, the Polish Foreign Ministry has categorically denied these allegations.
According to TVP World, a Polish international news outlet, the ministry stated that the detained individuals were merely taking photographs and were not participating in the protest. The students, part of an academic exchange program at Bayero University in Kano, are from the University of Warsaw’s African Studies department.
Anna Modzelewska, the University of Warsaw’s Press Officer, emphasized that securing the release of the students is the institution’s top priority. She noted that the university’s rector, Alojzy Nowak, is in direct contact with the detainees and that efforts are underway to clarify the charges against them.
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Jakub Wisniewski has also appealed for the swift release of the students, expressing skepticism about the claims of them waving Russian flags. “I personally find this claim hard to believe. We are urging for their safe return home, where their loved ones are anxiously waiting for them,” Wisniewski stated.
Despite these diplomatic efforts, a former Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Professor Bola Akinterinwa, advised the Polish authorities to be patient and allow the investigation to conclude. He argued that it is within Nigeria’s rights to investigate the matter thoroughly, given the circumstances of the arrest.
In response to the situation, Omooba Ayoola, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Poland, has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene and secure the release of the students and their lecturer. Ayoola highlighted the importance of preserving academic cooperation between Nigeria and Poland, urging the Nigerian government to resolve the issue swiftly to prevent further strain on bilateral relations.
“It is regretted that the Polish nationals were found at the wrong place and at the wrong time,” Ayoola said in a statement. “In the spirit of deeper bilateral cooperation, President Tinubu should please passionately look into this disturbing issue and help these students regain their freedom so that they can focus on their primary purpose of coming to Nigeria.”
