Controversy flared up in Abuja as police deployed to quash the “#FreeNnamdiKanuNow” protest allegedly arrested the detained IPOB leader’s brother and his lead lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor. The arrests, along with the reported manhandling of other bystanders, were announced by Omoyele Sowore, the convener of the demonstration.
Sowore took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to announce the crackdown, alleging that the police team sent to “brutalize” the protesters had detained key figures connected to the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
“The @PoliceNG team deployed to brutalize #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, and his lawyer, @AloyEjimakor, as well as innocent bystanders. They were beaten and taken to the FCT command. The police must release them immediately!,” Sowore wrote in his post
The arrests followed an earlier report of chaos in the Central Business District, where security operatives reportedly fired teargas canisters and, in some instances, live bullets to disperse the protesters. These actions caused widespread panic, disrupted early morning traffic, and led to the barricading of major roads around the city centre, resulting in heavy gridlock and confusion.
The police action came despite a pre-emptive order issued by the Nigeria Police Force designating certain areas in the capital as “no-protest zones.” The police spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, had previously stated that a Federal High Court order in Abuja had explicitly restricted groups—including those supporting or opposing Kanu’s detention—from demonstrating within and around key government infrastructure like Aso Rock, the National Assembly, Force Headquarters, the Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
Nnamdi Kanu remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021, facing terrorism-related charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja. Meanwhile, Sowore and other activists continue to press for his unconditional release, a call that appears to have culminated in the latest reported confrontations and arrests.
