On Wednesday, the Polish Foreign Ministry confirmed that six Polish students and their lecturer from Warsaw University, who had been arrested and detained in Nigeria, have been released. The group was detained due to their alleged involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protests.
The ministry reported that the students and their lecturer are in good health and are expected to return to Poland later this week.
Pawel Wronski, the spokesperson for the Polish Foreign Ministry, confirmed that the group had their passports, laptops, and other personal belongings returned to them. He added that they are currently staying on their university campus in Kano State, awaiting their return trip to Poland, as reported by CBS News.
Earlier, SaharaReporters had revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested the six Polish students and their lecturer in Kano State. The arrests were linked to their alleged participation in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests, which took place from August 1 to 10 across Nigeria.
The students had traveled to Nigeria to take part in a program focused on learning the Hausa language. They were reportedly detained at a hotel in Kano for allegedly displaying Russian flags during the protests.
However, Polish officials, who have historically had strained relations with Russia, view the incident as a misunderstanding. Poland, which has suffered under Russian rule in the past, maintains strong support for Ukraine and is critical of Russian aggression.
Wronski explained, “Our students found themselves in an unfortunate situation due to the timing and location.” He also advised travelers to exercise caution when visiting remote areas.
The spokesperson noted that the Polish Foreign Ministry provides travel warnings and advice on its website, which includes a caution about Kano. The ministry describes the political situation in Kano as “quite complicated.”
Abdullahi Haru, the Kano State Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed the arrests of the Polish nationals to SaharaReporters. He noted that the protests were fueled by frustration over a severe cost-of-living crisis and poor governance. During the protests, the state police command also detained 76 other individuals, including a tailor from Niger Republic accused of manufacturing ‘Russian flags’ used by the protesters.
SaharaReporters had also reported that during the protests in Kano and other Northern states, some demonstrators allegedly displayed Russian flags and called for a military takeover of power in Nigeria.
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