Yunusa Umar
A Tiktok user, @The ArchBishop posted a video showing the image of the Russian president Vladimir Putin at a military parade. The video was superimposed with the claim, ‘Russian Military Sets To Visit Nigeria For A Protest Call For Protesting With Their Flag.’.
The post also had the caption that reads; ‘National protest, no be small thing oh. #foryou #nigeriaprotest #goviral #nigeria#nigeriaprotest2024.’
As of press time, the claim has generated over 35,400 reactions, over 3,600 comments and 2,000 reposts.
Earlier in August 2024, Nigerians had staged a 10 day peaceful protest over fuel subsidy removal, electricity hike, among other policies of the president, and at one of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests in Kano, several protesters were seen raising the Russian flag. NV-A investigates if Russia’s military is now set to invade Nigeria following this protest and the display of the Russian flag by protesters.
VERIFICATION
NV-A conducted a keyword search to see if there are news reports confirming the Russian Military’s visit to Nigeria for war but no reputable media has yet reported any such story. In contrast, the search revealed a series of news articles published by various media outlets in Nigeria after the Russian Embassy distanced itself from the activities of the Nigerian protesters.
The statement released by the embassy, stated that Russia does not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, including Nigeria, and that the protesters’ actions do not reflect any official Russian government policy or position.
The statement reads, “The Embassy has noted the reports in Nigerian media and the circulation of videos and images in digital media depicting protesters in northern states of the country carrying Russian flags and chanting slogans to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“The Government of the Russian Federation as well as any Russian officials are not involved in these activities and do not coordinate them in any way.
“As always, we emphasize that Russia does not interfere in the domestic affairs of foreign states, including Nigeria. These intentions of some protesters to wave Russian flags are personal choices of individuals, and they do not reflect any official position or policy of the Russian Government in the issue.
“We respect Nigerian democracy and believe that peaceful demonstrations in conformity with the Nigerian law are a manifestation of democracy. However, should these events lead to any disruptions or acts of violence we strictly condemn them.”
Further checks on the video superimposed in the TikTok’s claim showing President Putin and the Russian military revealed that it was not related to any event or retaliation on Nigeria. Some screenshots captured from the video revealed that the video was from Russia’s 2024 Victory Parade at the Red Square.
This ceremony has been in practice since 1945 to mark the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. This year’s event held on May 9, showed Putin addressing the crowd amidst the Ukraine war and posing nuclear threats at the United Kingdom and France.
CONCLUSION
The claim that the Russian Military Sets to visit Nigeria for war is FALSE. Findings show that the country’s embassy in Nigeria has distanced itself from the activities of the protesters.
