Di Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Christopher Mustapha don caution dose wey dey fly di Russian flag, say e be treasonable offence afta some protesters for di northern region of di kontri dey wave di Russian flag.
Di CDS describe di move as unacceptable, while di Department of State Services (DSS) tok say dem don arrest some tailors wey dem suspect dey mass-produce di Russian flag for Kano State.
For one statement on Monday, di DSS also tok say some of di sponsors don dey apprehended.
Some protesters for Nigeria dey carry Russian flags, dey march for di streets and dey chant different songs wit odas wey dey carry placards.
Pictures and videos for social media platforms bin show protesters for Kano, Kaduna and Zamfara dey chant “Welcome, Russia” and dey wave di Russian flag.
Wen BBC ask Saadu Musa Abdullahi why e carry Russian flag instead of di Nigerian flag during di ongoing EndBadGovernanceinNigeria protest, e tok say, “We no consider wia we dey live as part of Nigeria. We no tink say we be Nigerians. Dat na why we carry Russian flags.”
E add say, “No local goment area for dis our place dey peaceful. Even after dis goment come power, notin change. Di only reason we dey fly Russian flags na to draw attention to our plight so dat dem fit at least intervene and reconcile us wit Nigerian goment.”
“We don see wetin dem dey do for Mali and di citizens dia dey happy, dem dey enjoy pass citizens of our kontri wey western kontris dey support. Becos dia support no dey reach grassroots level,” im tok.
Abdullahi respond to di rumours say dem don sponsor dem to dey wave di Russian flags for Nigeria during di protest, e tok say “No one sponsor us becos none of us don ever go Russia or know anybody wey dey live dia.”
Wetin be di implication of waving di Russian flag for Nigeria?
One human rights activist Abubakar Muhammad Usman, tok say to analyse di situation about protests and di raising of flags for Nigeria, e dey insightful to reflect on di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), wey guarantee di right to peaceful assembly and association under Section 40.
Dis provision allow citizens to gada freely and associate wit odas to protect dia interests, including peaceful protests.
Even though di Nigerian Penal Code no specifically tok say raising anoda kontri flag na crime, such actions fit dey seen in different ways and fit cause legal wahala.
Usman tok say, “Section 50 of di Criminal Code define sedition as acts or words wey dey stir up discontent or rebellion against di goment. Authorities fit argue say raising a foreign flag during a protest fit dey seen as sedition or an attempt to undermine national sovereignty, especially if e dey incite unrest or show disloyalty.”
“Additionally, di Public Order Act, Cap P42 LFN 2004, give police power to control gatherings and processions to maintain public order. Dis include di power to arrest pipo wey dia actions during protest dey threaten public peace and safety. For dis context, raising foreign flags fit dey seen as a threat to public order, wey fit make police take action.”
“Similarity between di Russian flag and di Nigerian armed forces flag fit cause misunderstandings, making di situation more complicated. Di Nigerian Armed Forces flag, wey get three vertical stripes of blue, red, and green, fit dey mistaken for di Russian flag, wey fit cause wrongful accusations,” im tok
“If dem arrest di pipo and carry dem go court, dia defence fit focus on explaining dia intentions and di legal meaning of dia actions, stressing dia constitutional right to protest and di fact say no specific law dey ban raising certain flags.”
E say e dey important for both protesters and law enforcement to understand di legal limits and di possible consequences of dia actions. While expressing dissent na democratic right, dem gatz do am legally to avoid unnecessary escalation and legal wahala.
‘Na treason’
Barrister Umar Bala clarify di implication of some Nigerians wey dey wave Russian flags for streets, e say most of di protesters no know di implication of dia action. “Under Nigerian law, anybody wey support or abet somebody to come overthrow one authority or attack di president na act of treason.”
E add say by di law bifor you fit say pesin don really commit offence, you gatz establish say dem don do di action you dey accuse dem say dem dey raise anoda kontri flag against dia own kontri.
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“Di implication of raising flag na say dem dey help, dem dey abet, dem dey call di Russian president to come Nigeria to help dem or to sponsor some protesters or di military to take over leadership” Bala tok.
“Di implication of law na say dem go charge dem wit offence of treason if dem bring dem to detention for doing such action,” im tok.
Wetin be treason?
Di word treason dey defined under di provision of section:
“Section 37 of di Criminal Code, wey deal wit di offence of treason generally, prescribe di punishment of death for di offences wey di sub-sections create.
E dey desirable here to set out di words of dis sub-sections. At di material time wen di Information for di case for hand dey laid, Section 37(1) read –
“Any pesin wey levy war against di Sovereign, to intimidate or overawe di Govnor-General or di Govnor of a Region, dey guilty of treason, and dey liable to di punishment of death.” and Section 37(2) read – “Any pesin wey conspire wit any pesin, either within or without Nigeria, to levy war against di Sovereign wit intent to cause such levying of war as e go be treason if committed by one of Her Majesty subjects, dey guilty of treason, and dey liable to di punishment of death… “
Russia response to di use of dia flags for Nigeria
For dis mata, di Russian Embassy for Nigeria don come out to tok say dem no dey put mouth for affairs of foreign kontris wey include Nigeria.
Russia add say dem no dey involved for di use of Russian flags by protesters for northern Nigeria.
For dia statement on Monday, 5 August afta fotos and videos show protesters wey dey carry Russian flags for northern Nigeria, di embassy say dem no dey involved for di mata.
“Dis intentions of some protesters to wave Russian flags na personal choices of individuals, and e no represent any official position or policy of di Russian goment for di issue.”
Di embassy add say Russia dey respect di democracy for Nigeria and peaceful demonstrations na part of wetin dey di law of di African kontri but dem no support violence.
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