The Nigerian military has condemned protesters waving Russian flags, warning that such actions are treasonable and punishable by death.

General Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff, issued this warning on Monday after a security meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa.

He said, “We have all seen foreign flags being flown within the sovereignty of Nigeria, which is totally unacceptable. We are issuing a clear warning, and the President has also instructed us to convey this: we will not tolerate anyone, any individual, flying a foreign flag in Nigeria. That is a treasonable offence, and it will be treated as such. No one should allow themselves to be used by any individual.”

“We wanted to brief Mr President on the situation on the ground, and we know that since the riots began, all the security agencies have been working together. Initially, when the riots started, they were described as peaceful, but we have realised that there are individuals who are willing to take advantage of the situation to cause mayhem. And we can clearly see what has happened since it began: criminals have taken over, with a lot of looting, stealing, and all sorts of criminal activities occurring,” Mr Musa added.

A large crowd of protesters waving Russian flags stormed the streets in Kaduna, Kano, and Bauchi on Monday, the fifth day of nationwide protests over the lingering economic crisis in the country.

The State Security Service (SSS) also announced the arrest of several tailors who allegedly sewed Russian flags that were distributed and waved during the #EndBadGovernance protest in Kano state.