Putin speaks over October 1st protest in Nigeria

Russian government has distanced itself from the October 1st hunger protest in Nigeria, claiming that western countries are trying to destroy its relationship with Nigeria by linking the country with the unrest.

This is contained in a letter from the Russian government to the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs which was released on Friday by Yury Paramonov, official Press Secretary of the Russian embassy in Nigeria.

Some protesters were seen waving Russian flag and chanting slogans, while others held placards with various messages during the protest.

Russia, a global power, has been accused of involvement in recent political upheavals in several West African countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

This has sparked concerns about external interference in regional affairs.
But Russia claimed that the United States, Britain and Ukraine were linking it with the protests to destroy the cordial relationship between it and Nigeria, advising the federal government to ignore the claims.

“In particular, statements by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, former Director of the British Council in Nigeria David Roberts, and the Ambassador of Ukraine to Nigeria Ivan Kholostenko have shamelessly and baselessly suggested that the use of Russian flags during recent protests is evidence of Russia’s interference and have further warned that this could happen again in the future.”

“The Embassy categorically rejects such accusations and reiterates that the Russian Federation neither had any involvement in the protests that occurred in the recent past, nor does it have any connection to any potential future demonstrations or unrest.

“Russia has always respected the sovereignty of Nigeria. We strictly adhere to the principle of non-interference in the interna