The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that a group of Polish students and a lecturer detained in Nigeria have been released.
The students from the University of Warsaw were arrested earlier this month in Kano after being accused of raising Russian flags during anti-government protests.
The protests, which began on August 1, drew tens of thousands of Nigerians, mainly youth, into the streets, expressing discontent over President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms.
The reforms, including the partial removal of fuel and electricity subsidies and currency devaluation, have led to soaring inflation, causing severe economic strain across the country.
Nigerian authorities initially claimed that the Polish nationals were actively involved in the protests by waving Russian flags—an act that raised concerns, given Russia’s increasing presence in West Africa.
However, the Polish foreign ministry quickly dismissed these allegations, stating that the students were simply near the protest and not participating in it.