Mixed Reactions Trail Abuja ‘Free Nnamdi Kanu’ Protest Despite Police Crackdown
Story: written by Myra October 22,2025
Fresh reactions have continued to pour in following Monday’s Free Nnamdi Kanu protest led by Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), which took place across parts of Abuja despite a court order restricting the demonstration.
Sowore had mobilized protesters from across Nigeria to march to the Presidential Villa to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). However, Justice M.G. Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on October 17, 2025, issued an injunction barring Sowore and other groups from protesting near sensitive locations including Aso Rock, the National Assembly, Eagle Square, and Force Headquarters.
Police operatives, acting on the court order, sealed off major access routes to these areas and fired teargas to disperse crowds, forcing the protesters to regroup at alternative locations such as Utako and Apo.
Despite the heavy security presence, Sowore and his supporters went ahead with the march. However, several demonstrators—including Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel, and his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor—were arrested and later remanded in Kuje Prison by a magistrate court in Abuja.
Reactions to the protest have been sharply divided.
Former Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani, criticized the demonstration, calling it “counterproductive and harmful to the rule of law.” He argued that allowing the judicial process to conclude would better serve justice and national unity.
Sani said: “Nnamdi Kanu is facing serious charges. The best approach is to let the law take its course. Protests won’t determine his guilt or innocence.”
However, Abuja-based human rights lawyer Maduabuchi Idam praised the protest as a “major success,” saying it marked the first time people from various ethnic backgrounds openly supported Kanu’s cause.
Idam stated: “The protest was historic. Nigerians from different regions united to condemn the selective injustice against Nnamdi Kanu and other agitators.”
He also defended Kanu’s legal team, insisting that Ejimakor and others had a constitutional right to express their views, so long as they did not prejudge matters before the court.
“The government should stop weaponizing the law to silence dissent,” Idam said. “Instead of punishing lawyers for speaking up, authorities should address the real issue—why Kanu remains in detention.”
Meanwhile, reports from Abia, Imo, Enugu, and Ebonyi States indicated that residents observed a sit-at-home in solidarity with the detained IPOB leader.
