Over the weekend, viral images and videos from Kano state showed protesters carrying flags that appeared to be Russian. This sparked controversy, with various persons condemning their action. One of those who weighed in on the issue is the former presidential aide Bashir Ahmed.
Various media outlets reported the action with many reports attributing the flags to Russia. Read here and here
This comes amid military coups in West African countries like Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali, where Russian flags have been displayed before and after coups.
In Nigeria, protesters have been demonstrating against bad governance for the past four days, resulting in 13 deaths and many injuries. The protest has been tagged #Endbadgovernance.
Verification
CDD War Room spoke with a source in Kano who confirmed the use of these flags and found videos of protesters calling for Russian intervention, and that President Putin should takeover the affairs of the country. There have also been videos calling for military takeover of Nigeria’s political and governance space.
However, the CDD War Room discovered that the flag in question was similar to the flag often displayed during presidential addresses. Upon closer observation, it was noted that the Russian flag differed from the Presidential Armed Forces/ Presidential Standard flag which has an extra green colour at its end.
The Presidential Armed Forces Flag symbolises the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
CDD further spoke to the Director, Defense Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, who confirmed that the flags held by the protesters belonged to Russia.
Verdict: TRUE
CDD War Room confirms that some protesters in Kano state, held up the Russian flag, just as some have called for military takeover in Nigeria.