Polish diplomats on Friday issued an urgent appeal for the release of seven Polish citizens detained in Nigeria. The group, consisting of six students and a lecturer from Warsaw University, was apprehended earlier in the week while participating in a program studying the Hausa language in the state of Kano, northern Nigeria.
The Polish government believes the detention was a misunderstanding, citing reports that the individuals were arrested for carrying Russian flags during protests. A spokesperson for Nigeria’s secret service confirmed the arrests, attributing them to the flag display. However, Polish officials strongly refute this claim, emphasizing the rarity of pro-Russian sentiment in Poland, which has a history of suffering under Russian rule. Today, Polish society stands firmly against Russian aggression in Ukraine, offering unwavering support to Ukraine.
Deputy Foreign Minister Jakub Wisniewski, after meeting with Nigeria’s chargé d’affaires in Warsaw, urged Nigeria to allow the students and lecturer to return home. He expressed his belief that their actions were likely due to ignorance of local customs, culture, and laws, appealing for their safe return to their families.
Wisniewski confirmed that the seven Poles had been transferred to the Nigerian capital, Abuja, and were safe. Poland’s consul was scheduled to meet with them on Friday afternoon. He noted that Nigeria is currently under a curfew and a ban on demonstrations, implemented in response to widespread protests fueled by high inflation and hunger.
While some Nigerian protesters in northern states have been observed waving Russian flags, mirroring a trend in other African countries experiencing coups, where pro-Russian sentiment is rising as military governments sever ties with the West, Polish officials maintain that this was not the case for their detained citizens.
