Six Polish students and their teacher, who were arrested in Nigeria during protests against government policies and rising living costs, have been released, according to Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radoslaw Sikorski.
The group, consisting of University of Warsaw students, was detained earlier this month in Kano State by Nigerian national security agencies for their “suspicious role in the protest and flying of Russian flags.”
Polish authorities clarified that the group was merely caught up in the unrest by being in “the wrong place at the wrong time.” Following their release, Sikorski confirmed via a video on X (formerly Twitter) that the students and their teacher are now back on campus in Kano, with their passports returned.
Sikorski remarked, “I think the young people received an accelerated lesson in African studies… I hope they will be back in the country soon.”
Nigeria is currently experiencing its worst cost-of-living crisis in years, driven by economic reforms introduced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revive the nation’s economy and attract foreign investment.
