The Polish government has refuted claims by the Department of State Services (DSS) that six Polish nationals arrested in Kano, Nigeria, were displaying Russian flags during a protest.
The Polish foreign ministry stated that the detained individuals, who were students and a lecturer on an exchange program at Bayero University, were merely taking photos and not participating in the protest.
The DSS had alleged that the Poles were arrested for displaying foreign flags during the #EndBadGovernance protest on August 6. However, the Polish government has denied this claim, with Deputy Foreign Minister Jakub Wisniewski expressing skepticism about the allegation.
The University of Warsaw, where the students are enrolled, has made freeing the detainees its top priority. The Polish government has pleaded with Nigeria to release the detainees, with the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Poland, Omooba Ayoola, also appealing to President Bola Tinubu to facilitate their release.