ABUJA: There are rising tensions in Abuja as organisers of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest vowed to proceed with their planned march on the Presidential Villa today (Monday), despite a Federal High Court injunction restraining demonstrations near key government institutions.
The protest, led by human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, seeks the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who remains in custody on charges of terrorism, treason, and incitement.
Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an interim injunction on Friday, following an ex parte application by the Nigeria Police Force, barring protesters from converging near the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Eagle Square, and other sensitive locations.
However, protest organisers have dismissed the order, claiming they have not been formally served.
The right to peaceful protest is constitutionally guaranteed, said Damilare Adenola, Director of Mobilisation for the Take It Back Movement. Nothing will discourage us. The government cannot criminalise peaceful assembly.
Adenola confirmed that marches will also take place simultaneously across South-East states and at Nigerian embassies abroad.
The protest has gained significant traction, receiving open support from major opposition figures including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, both of whom urged the government to adopt dialogue rather than confrontation.
Obi reiterated his belief that there was no need for Kanu’s arrest in the first place, while calling for negotiation and inclusiveness in addressing separatist demands.
Leaders of the Labour Party, NNPP, and the Obidient Movement have similarly defended the right to peaceful protest, accusing the government of double standards for engaging with armed groups while detaining Kanu.
Security agencies have deployed personnel across Abuja in anticipation of the march. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) warned protesters against vandalism or property damage, pledging to uphold peace while maintaining vigilance.
FCT Commandant Olusola Odumosu said the corps will not tolerate destruction or theft of public or private facilities under the guise of protest, though he urged officers to maintain restraint and apply a non-kinetic approach to crowd control.
In a separate statement, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) declared all prisons nationwide as Red Zones, cautioning the public to steer clear of correctional facilities during the protest.
Any attempt to encroach upon these zones will be treated as a serious security threat,” warned NCoS spokesperson Umar Abubakar.
Kanu’s legal team remains split on the protest. Senior counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) insists the matter should remain within judicial boundaries, while Aloy Ejimakor supports the rally, calling it a constitutional right.
I will be joining the protest. It is a civic right of Nigerians to demand justice peacefully,” Ejimakor said.
Kanu, who has been in detention since his controversial extradition from Kenya in 2021, is accused of promoting Biafran independence through inflammatory rhetoric on Radio Biafra.
While government officials maintain that his prosecution is lawful, critics describe it as politically motivated persecution.
His detention continues to stir ethnic, legal, and human rights debates across Nigeria, particularly as the protest date coincides with the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS demonstrations.
