Polish government, on Saturday, said its seven nationals recently arrested by the Department of State Services in Kano during the hunger protest in the state were only taking photographs of the event.
Six Spanish nationals were also arrested by the DSS during the protest.
The Polish government, however, also denied that its arrested and detained citizens were found waving the Russian flag during the protest in Kano.
DSS spokesperson, Dr Peter Afunanya, had at a meeting with diplomats in Abuja, explained that the Poles were arrested “because of where they were found during the protests and for displaying foreign flags.”
But the Polish Foreign Ministry denied the allegation.
A Polish international news network, TVP World, reported that the Ministry explained that six students and their lecturer were not actually participating in the protest but “merely took photos.”
The detained Polish students and their lecturer, it was learnt, were on an exchange programme at the Bayero University, Kano, being students of African Studies at the Oriental Studies Faculty, University of Warsaw.
They were said to have arrived from Poland on August 1 and were scheduled to return to their country early September.
Press Officer of the University of Warsaw, Anna Modzelewska, said securing the release of the detained students was institution’s top priority.
TVP World reported Modzelewska
as saying, “Freeing the UW [University of Warsaw] students is our priority. We must do everything in our power for that to happen as quickly as possible.”
The UW spokesperson, who disclosed that the University’s Rector, Alojzy Nowak, had been in contact with the detainees, added that information was being gathered on the charges against the Poles.
On Friday, the Polish government, through its Deputy Foreign Minister, Jakub Wisniewski, pleaded with the Nigerian government to release the detainees.
Regarding claims that the detained Polish waved the Russian flag, 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.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in Poland, Omooba Ayoola, on Saturday, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release the six students and their lecturer.
Ayoola, who is based in Warsaw, urged Tinubu to use his good offices to facilitate the release of the students and their lecturer in the spirit of deepening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Ayoola, in a statement, said, ‘’It is regretted that the Polish nationals were found at the wrong place and at the wrong time.
“However, these students are said to be in the country for academic exchange programmes and we should guide against what can hinder deeper academic cooperation in between the two countries.
“I, therefore, plead that in the spirit of deeper bilateral cooperation, President Tinubu should please passionately look into this disturbing issue and help these students to regain their freedom so that they can focus on their primary purpose of coming to Nigeria”.
