Six Polish students and their teacher, who were arrested in Nigeria during protests against government policies and high living costs, have been released, according to Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski.
The group, all from the University of Warsaw, was detained earlier this month in the northwestern state of Kano.
The Nigerian national security agency said they were arrested “over their suspicious role in the protest and flying of Russian flags.”
However, Polish authorities explained that the students and their teacher were simply “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski confirmed their release on Wednesday. “I would like to confirm that the young people are already free, back in Kano, on campus, with passports,” Sikorski said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. He added, “I think the young people received an accelerated lesson in African studies… I hope they will be back in the country soon.”
The protests in Nigeria were sparked by rising living costs and government reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revive the economy and attract foreign investment. The country is currently facing its worst cost-of-living crisis in years.
