Security operatives have allegedly fired tear gas and gunshots to disperse protesters demanding the release of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, during a demonstration in Abuja on Monday. The protest, which began near the Transcorp Hilton, saw participants chanting slogans such as “Free Nnamdi Kanu now” and “It’s our constitutional right to protest” before they were scattered by security forces.
Activist Omoyele Sowore, who led the protest, said the group had earlier notified the police of their plans and described the security response as an unprovoked attack. He alleged that some protesters, including Kanu’s younger brother and lawyer, were arrested and taken to the FCT Command. Witnesses reported that tear gas was fired near the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat in Utako, forcing bystanders to flee.
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The police had earlier warned against any protest near sensitive locations, citing a Federal High Court order restricting demonstrations around Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, and major routes in the capital. Security operatives also barricaded access roads to the Federal Secretariat, Unity Fountain, and the Three Arms Zone to prevent gatherings.
Nnamdi Kanu, who leads the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, faces terrorism charges after his no-case submission was dismissed by the court. The protest coincides with the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS demonstrations, which called for police reform and justice for victims of brutality.
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