Police warn protesters against clamour for coup, display of foreign flags

The Nigeria Police Force has issued a stern warning against the display of foreign flags during protests and calls for a military coup.

The police said such actions are treasonable felonies under Nigerian law.

This statement follows recent violent protests in Bauchi, Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina States, where demonstrators were seen brandishing foreign flags.

According to a statement released by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, via X on Tuesday, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, emphasised the gravity of these actions, stating, “The use of foreign flags during protests and openly calling for a military takeover of the government is a capital offence under Nigerian law.”

The statement said that police investigations have found that some protest organisers are behind these activities.

The statement said, “Evidence shows that these sponsors have paid significant sums to exploit the hardship protests, brainwashing, and misleading innocent children into aiding this campaign against the government.”

Over 90 suspects have been arrested, including tailors involved in producing the flags and their sponsors. The police are actively pursuing others believed to be funding these “treasonable acts.”

Adejobi said, “The display of foreign flags and calls for a military takeover constitutes a clear treasonable offence, revealing the motives of protest organisers to destabilise Nigeria’s democratic government.”

In response to the ongoing situation, Egbetokun has deployed Deputy Inspectors General of Police, DIGs Bala Ciroma and Bello Makwashi, to oversee operations in the affected Northwest and Northeast zones.

The police have also warned Nigerian youths to be cautious of individuals and groups turning protests into business ventures, funded by local or foreign sponsors aiming to destabilise the country.

While acknowledging that tensions have eased following President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s address on August 4, the police noted that some groups continue to engage in subversive campaigns in the form of violent and unlawful protests.

“Some groups persist in subversive campaigns in the form of violent and unlawful protests, characterised by the destruction of public infrastructure and private property, looting, display of foreign flags, and calls for a military takeover. These individuals and groups will be treated as subversive agents and charged accordingly,” the statement said.

The police expressed gratitude to citizens who refrained from participating in these protests and those who withdrew when demonstrations turned violent.