Russian international minister Sergey Lavrov has brushed aside insinuations that the Russian executive backed some Nigerian youths who waved Russian flags all through the 2024 #EndBadGovernance protests.
Mr Lavrov, who spoke in Moscow at the sidelines of the 3rd Russia-Africa Summit, in line with a query via the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stated Russia had no hand within the motion and distanced Moscow from any try to undermine Nigeria’s sovereignty.
Consistent with him, Russia and Nigeria experience a strong dating courting again to the times of the previous Soviet Union.
He stated those that donned Russian flags did so of their non-public capability and that it didn’t translate to reliable improve via Russia.
“Any person who donned the Russian flag did so in his or her non-public capability. It does now not imply that Russia was once in improve of this sort of motion.
“Numerous electorate sympathetic to Palestinians wave Palestinian flags to precise harmony. It does now not imply the Palestinian executive is in the back of them,” Mr Lavrov stated.
The Information Company of Nigeria(NAN) remembers that the national #EndBadGovernance protests came about from 1 to ten August 2024, with the protesters mentioning top value of dwelling and financial hardship for his or her motion.
NAN additionally remembers that all through the protests, some teams of protesters, most commonly youths and minors in Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara and Abuja, have been observed waving Russian flags and chanting slogans calling for army intervention.
The motion, which the government described as treasonable and a risk to Nigeria’s sovereignty, ended in the arrest of ratings of protesters and a few tailors who have been allegedly stitching the flags.
The Russian Embassy in Abuja had, on the time, additionally denied any involvement.
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Mr Lavrov stated the tough dating between Nigeria and Russia had observed an building up in scholarships awarded to Nigerians, attaining a top of 220 in 2026.
He recalled that during 2024, he met along with his Nigerian counterpart in Abuja, who warmly won him, and cemented the bilateral ties between the 2 international locations.
On defence pacts with some international locations within the Sahel, Mr Lavrov stated Russia was once serving to to do away with safety threats within the area, including that Moscow was once mindful that some Western capitals have been the use of Ukrainian mercenaries to sabotage the efforts, as they did in Libya, in a bid to undermine regional steadiness.
Commenting at the contemporary diesel provide settlement with america, the international minister stated it was once purely a trade determination and would now not have an effect on the pursuits of its allies.
“The diesel settlement with the U.S. is solely a trade determination via two global leaders who’re involved via the emerging value of power,” he stated.
(NAN)
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