How residents staged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest amid police crackdown

On Monday, protesters led by Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, stormed the streets of Nigeria’s capital city, calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) from custody.

Mr Kanu has been in detention since 2021 as he faces trial on terrorism charges which stemmed from his separatist activities calling for the independence of the South-east region as a sovereign state. The Nigerian government accused him in the trial that dates back to 2015 of inciting violence that has led to wanton killings and destruction of properties in the region.

But protesters led by Mr Sowore, the 2019 and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, maintained that Mr Kanu’s detention is unjust and politically motivated and called for the IPOB leader’s unconditional release.

In Abuja, protesters marched from the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in the Maitama District, through Wuse to Berger and down to Utako. The protest subsequently continued at Apo down to Gudu area of Abuja before Mr Sowore finally led a few remaining protesters to the FCT Police Command in an attempt to secure the release of some arrested protesters.

In Abia State, several residents marched around major areas and roads in Umuahia, the state capital.

In video clips reviewed by this newspaper, Abia protesters were seen chanting Mr Kanu’s names and demanding his release from detention as they marched on foot, tricycles, motorcycles and bicycles. In Enugu, Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi, the streets were deserted on Monday.

In Ondo State, Igbo-owned businesses shut down, signaling solidarity with the protest calling for the release of detained Mr Kanu.

Despite a court order approving of the planned protest, the police forcefully dispersed protesters using tear gas in many instances in Abuja.

Fear, gridlock, and disruptions

On Monday, Abuja residents woke up to palpable fear of the protest interfering with their daily activities. Unverified information had been circulating the night before, asking residents to stay home and observe the atmosphere before leaving their homes.

As early as 6 a.m., before protesters gathered at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, the meeting point of the protest, police had mounted roadblocks on major routes leading to the National Assembly, Federal Secretariat, Eagles Square, Aso Rock and the Court of Appeal. The presence of increased security personnel around the city also raised fear among residents.

“Good morning Abuja, wherever you’re going this morning, make sure to leave the house early. Most of the places in the city are blocked,” Abuja street, a popular Abuja traffic blog, posted on X.

This police barricade slowed down vehicular movement around the Central Business District (CBD), gradually creating a gridlock that only eased a few hours later.

Residents coming to the city centre from the Nyanya-Karu axis endured the gridlock. Many commuters were left stranded, and some, unable to tolerate the situation, chose to return home.

“I trekked from Mararaba this morning to get to Abacha Barack in Asokoro, just to get to work,” said Samson Chukwu, a resident of Mararaba, describing how he became stranded and had to walk several kilometers to reach his workplace in Wuse.

Activities were grounded in parts of Abuja as a result of the protest and police roadblocks on Monday.

The demonstration paralysed activities at the Federal High Court in Abuja, stalling hearing in a case filed by the police involving Mr Sowore and others linked to the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest.

Protest, teargas and arrests

Meanwhile, at the Hilton Hotel, where the protest began, protesters grouped and chanted numerous solidarity songs, such as “Holy Holy Holy, Nnamdi Kanu is another saviour.”

However, police fired tear gas at the protesters, dispersing them at the location multiple times, forcing the caravan of protesters away from the area.

The police also fired teargas at journalists and civilians around the AP filling station opposite the Transcorp Hilton Hotel. The police briefly arrested a journalist with the Agence France-Presse (AFP), PREMIUM TIMES gathered.

Residents going about their day were forced to take alternative routes as a result of the effect of the teargas.

Shortly after, around 9 a.m., the protesters regrouped and moved towards Berger down to Jabi in the Utako district of the capital city.

Again, the protesters were dispersed by teargas-firing police officers at a building material plaza in Jabi. PREMIUM TIMES reported how the management of the plaza was forced to shut it down, crippling business activities.

Mr Sowore addressed protesters in the Jabi/Utakoo axis describing Mr Kanu’s detention as a symbol of Nigeria’s deepening social injustice as he warned that public anger could soon erupt into a massive nationwide movement.

Undeterred, the protesters regrouped again at Apo and marched to Gudu before the crowd gradually thinned and the demonstration fizzled out.

Mr Sowore, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, led a few remaining protesters to the FCT police command in a bid to secure the release of some arrested protesters.

According to Mr Sowore, 13 protesters have been detained, including Nnamdi Kanu’s lead lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor and Mr Kanu’s brother, Emmanuel Kanu.

“Shockingly, the protesters have been taken to the notorious SARS Abattoir detention and torture facility in Abuja, a place long associated with human rights abuses, unlawful detentions, and unspeakable cruelty. Their only offence was standing for justice and freedom and protesting peacefully,” he posted on his Facebook page.

Meanwhile, counter-protesters opposing Mr Kanu’s release held their rally around Labour House Bridge in the central area without police harassment.

Amnesty International Nigeria condemned the use of force, including confiscation of cameras and “reckless use of tear gas” to disperse protesters.

“Once again, the Nigerian authorities have failed to respect and uphold people’s right to freedom of assembly,” AI Nigeria said in a short statement on its X page.

“All incidents must be investigated impartially and the suspected perpetrators brought to justice through fair trials.”

Sowore’s call

Mr Sowore began mobilising for the protest earlier this month, starting with a social media call out of South-east politicians and leaders to join him in the struggle.

The politicians he called upon include the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; former president Goodluck Jonathan; Governors of Anambra and Abia states, Charles Soludo and Alex Otti, respectively; as well as some members of the National Assembly from the region.

“(The) time for action is now. Let’s march to Aso Rock Villa. Every governor, senator, member of the House, traditional ruler, priest, Eze, Igbo person, and every Nigerian who believes in Kanu’s freedom, come out and do more than talk. I will lead this peaceful march,” he wrote in one of his numerous posts on Facebook.

The Nigerian government tackled him for calling for a protest and accused him of attempting to incite disorder under the guise of a protest. Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanugo, went ahead to describe Mr Sowore as “an anarchist masquerading as a rights activist”.

When he fixed 20 October for the protest, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) filed an ex parte motion before the Federal High Court in Abuja, praying that the court order the protesters to stay away from sensitive government sites, specifically the three armed zones of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

READ ALSO: Nnamdi Kanu: South-east residents shun businesses, desert roads as protest holds in Abia

The court granted the request but approved the protest in other areas outside of sensitive government sites, including Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.

Yet, the police fired teargas at protesters multiple times in areas outside of the limit, including the Hilton hotel area and in Jabi area of the FCT.

But the protest intended to be held nationwide only took a significant hold in Abuja and sparsely held in a few other places.