Police Disperse Pro-Nnamdi Kanu Protesters in Abuja

By Franklin Adole
Police in Abuja on Monday fired tear gas canisters to disperse a swelling crowd of protesters who had gathered in front of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel to demand the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

As early as 6:30 a.m., groups of demonstrators, including clerics, human rights activists, and members of civil society, began assembling in defiance of police warnings against any form of public demonstration in the Federal Capital Territory. Witnesses said the protesters remained largely peaceful, holding placards and chanting solidarity songs, when police officers suddenly deployed tear gas to break up the gathering.

Human rights lawyer and one of Kanu’s lead counsels, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, who was among the first to arrive at the scene, confirmed the incident in a video and in posts on X (formerly Twitter). “I’m in front of Transcorp Hilton with a mammoth crowd that gathered for #MNKOct20, and the police just exploded tear gas. My eyes and throat hurt. They’re scattering everywhere,” he wrote.

Security agencies had earlier placed their personnel on red alert amid intelligence reports that the protesters planned to march toward the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. Both the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) had warned that any attempt to take the protest to the seat of power would be treated as a security threat.

Despite the police action, Ejimakor vowed that the demonstration would continue, saying the group was waiting for the arrival of activist Omoyele Sowore, the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC). Sowore and his supporters have joined the call for Kanu’s release, saying it represents a broader struggle for due process and respect for the rule of law.

Nnamdi Kanu, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United Kingdom, rose to prominence as the founder and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, which advocates for an independent state of Biafra from Nigeria’s southeast. He was first arrested in October 2015 on charges including treasonable felony and incitement, following a series of broadcasts critical of the Nigerian state. After being granted bail in 2017, he fled the country when security forces invaded his residence in Abia State later that year.

The federal government subsequently proscribed IPOB as a terrorist organization, citing threats to national unity and public safety. Supporters of the group, however, insist it is a non-violent movement seeking self-determination within international law.

Kanu was re-arrested in June 2021 under controversial circumstances after being brought back to Nigeria from Kenya, in what his lawyers have described as an extraordinary rendition. He has since remained in the custody of the DSS, facing multiple charges including terrorism, incitement, and membership of an unlawful organization. While the Court of Appeal in October 2022 discharged him of some of the charges and questioned the legality of his return to Nigeria, it did not order his unconditional release. The Supreme Court has since affirmed the government’s right to continue his trial.

The matter remains a deeply polarizing issue in Nigeria, dividing opinion between those who see Kanu as a symbol of resistance against perceived marginalization of the southeast, and those who view his rhetoric and activities as a threat to national cohesion.

At the time of filing this report, the atmosphere in Abuja remained tense, with security forces maintaining heavy presence around strategic locations including the Federal Secretariat, the National Assembly, and the Presidential Villa. Protesters, however, insist that they will continue to demand Kanu’s release through peaceful means.

One demonstrator told Keeping Them Honest Daily: “We are not here for violence. We are here for justice. If the government believes in the rule of law, they should let the courts take their course.”

Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the confrontation, but security analysts warn that the situation surrounding Kanu’s prolonged detention continues to test Nigeria’s delicate balance between national security and civil liberties.