ABUJA/Nigeria: The Arewa Intelligence Caucus (AIC) on Monday called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to replace all the Service Chiefs in response to recent protests in Kano and Abuja, where demonstrators were seen waving Russian flags amid widespread hardship in the country.
The group also urged the President to take decisive action, including declaring a state of emergency in any state or region where political leaders fail to act decisively. They emphasized the need to identify and prosecute those responsible for treasonous activities.
In a press statement signed by Abubakar Ciroma, AIC President, and Nasir Adamu, the group’s Publicity Secretary, they highlighted the danger of mass gatherings in Kano State, referencing recent events that escalated from civil dissent to violence.
“It does not require a security and intelligence expert to understand the volatility of any form of mass gathering in Kano State,” the statement read. “Recent antecedents have shown how quickly such events can spiral out of control.”
The group cited two recent incidents to underscore their point. In November 2023, hundreds of youths protested the appeal court judgment that removed Governor Abba Yusuf from office, leading to violent clashes with some protesters declaring their willingness to die for justice. Similarly, in May this year, the repeal of the Kano Emirates Council Law by the state House of Assembly, which resulted in the deposition of Aminu Ado Bayero and reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano, also sparked violent protests.
“It was therefore unsurprising when, on the first day of the #EndBadGovernance protest, tacitly endorsed by Governor Yusuf, events took a violent turn,” the statement continued. “The destruction of billboards and streetlights, looting of shops and public facilities, and attacks on flashy vehicles ensued.”
The group noted that despite a 24-hour curfew imposed by the governor, the second day of protests saw further violence. Security operatives faced fierce resistance when attempting to disperse youths who defied the curfew to continue the #EndBadGovernance protest.
The AIC expressed particular concern over the waving of Russian flags by some protesters, who urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to intervene in Nigeria. “One has to be a fool to believe that those Russian flags were hurriedly and expressly delivered for use between the night of the first day of protest and the following morning,” the group stated. “And why Russia? Is it because Putin has finally chosen to actively subscribe to the playground of proxy wars among world powers, which West Africa has recently turned into, with his affiliation to political disruptions in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali?”
The statement argued that undermining democracy has been a strategic objective of Russia’s African policy for the past two decades, and that authoritarian governments lacking domestic checks and balances provide a permissive environment for enabling Russian influence on the continent. “Russian interest in undermining democracy in Africa occurs across a range of methods, including disinformation,” they added, noting that Moscow has targeted 22 countries for electoral interference and extra-constitutional claims to power.
Condemning the treasonous actions of protesters in Kano waving the Russian flag, the AIC also noted with dismay that the same flag was spotted in some suburbs of Abuja, the nation’s capital.
“The action is a serious indictment of the security chiefs,” the group stated, calling on President Tinubu to be ready to wield the big stick and declare a state of emergency if necessary. “We urge the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces to act decisively in the interest of national security and stability.”
