Human rights activist and politician Omoyele Sowore has stated that flying the Russian flag by #EndBadGovernance protesters cannot be labeled as treason.
This response comes after the Department of State Services (DSS) reported that some individuals behind the Russian flags brandished by protesters in northern states had been arrested.
The protesters were seen with Russian flags in Kano on Saturday, and many were calling for the military to take over the country’s administration.
The Nigerian military has stated that such actions are treasonous and announced investigations and potential prosecutions for those involved.
Sowore, responding via his X handle, argued that the act of flying Russian flags is not a crime, drawing parallels to Christians flying Israeli flags in churches and people showing solidarity with Palestinians by flying their flags.
He accused the government of using these arrests as a diversionary tactic to distract from the reasons behind the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He further questioned the government’s sincerity, referencing the 2020 #EndSARS protests where Nigerian flags were waved and the national anthem sung by young Nigerians, only for them to be met with violence. He labeled the authorities as liars and called for a revolution.