Polish consul to meet with university students detained in Nigeria, says official
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09.08.2024, 10:47
Deputy Foreign Minister Jakub Wiśniewski. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
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The Polish consul will meet with six detained Polish students and their lecturer in Nigeria on Friday afternoon, a deputy foreign minister said after meeting the families of the arrested students.
Polish authorities are accelerating diplomatic efforts to secure their release after they were arrested during anti-government protests in Nigeria on Monday.
Earlier reports confirmed that six, who are African Studies students from the University of Warsaw, and their lecturer were arrested during mass demonstrations against the economic situation in Nigeria in the northern city of Kano.
Nigeria has recently experienced a wave of protests against the economic policies of Bola Tinubu, the Nigerian President. This has prompted the Nigerian authorities to impose strict measures, including curfews and a ban on public gatherings.
Deputy Foreign Minister Jakub Wiśniewski said that the Polish consular services have been actively working since the moment of the arrest to locate the detained group and clarify the circumstances of their detention.
Wiśniewski met the Nigerian embassy's chargé d'affaires in Warsaw on Friday, where he learned that the students might have been mistakenly involved in the demonstrations, possibly due to their unfamiliarity with local laws and customs.
He then met representatives of the families to inform them about efforts to get the Poles released.
"We are doing everything in our power to ensure the safe and swift return of our citizens," said Wiśniewski after the meeting.
He said that the students could have been unaware of the local restrictions, including the curfew and a prohibition on photographing or participating in demonstrations.
During the meeting, Wiśniewski expressed his doubts over rumors that the students were seen waving Russian flags during the protests.
He said: “I personally find this claim hard to believe. We are urging for their safe return home, where their loved ones are anxiously waiting for them," Wiśniewski added.
The detained students were initially held in a hotel in Kano before being transported to Abuja, the capital, where the Polish embassy and consular offices are located. The Polish consul's scheduled meeting with the group is expected to take place in Abuja, where efforts to secure their release will continue throughout the weekend.
In light of the ongoing unrest, Wiśniewski also issued a strong warning to Polish citizens, advising against any travel to Nigeria at this time.
“Since August 2, we have maintained a travel advisory against visiting Nigeria, clearly identifying the states considered most dangerous," he said.
According to University of Warsaw spokesperson Anna Modzelewska, the university’s rector, Alojzy Nowak, received assurances from the chancellor of Bayero University in Kano that the detained students and their lecturer were safe and currently in Abuja.
Public display of Russian symbols, such as the Russian flag, could be viewed with suspicion by the Nigerian authorities given Russia’s alleged involvement in a recent series of coups that have taken place in a number of African states.
