The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Mustapha, has issued a stern warning to those flying the Russian flag, calling it a treasonable offence.

Some #EndBadGovernance protesters in the northern region have been seen waving the Russian flag as demonstrations entered their fifth day. This has sparked widespread criticism, including from the CDS, who condemned the act as unacceptable.

“We have seen foreign flags being flown within the sovereignty of Nigeria, and that is totally unacceptable. We are warning in clear terms, as the President has also conveyed: we will not accept anyone flying any foreign flag in Nigeria,” the CDS stated in Abuja following a meeting with other service chiefs and security agency heads, including President Bola Tinubu, on Monday.

“This is a treasonable offence and will be treated as such. No one should allow themselves to be used by any individual,” he added.

According to General Mustapha, many of those waving the flags are children being sponsored, which he described as crossing a red line. Security agencies have already arrested some suspects for mass-producing the flags. The Department of State Services (DSS) has also detained their sponsors in Kano.

“Many of those flying the flags are children being pushed to do so. We are pursuing those sponsoring them,” General Mustapha said. “The flags were manufactured, and we have identified those areas. We are going to take serious action against them.”

The CDS reiterated the security agencies’ commitment to defending the country’s democracy. “Regarding the issue of coups, Nigeria is a sovereign and democratic nation. All security agencies are here to defend democracy and ensure it continues to thrive. We will not accept any actions aimed at pushing for a change of government,” he affirmed.