The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, was thrown into tension on Monday morning as security operatives clamped down on protesters demanding the release of detained separatist leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
According to Reuters, police and military personnel were deployed in large numbers across major parts of the city, firing teargas and mounting heavy patrols to disperse demonstrators who attempted to converge near the Aso Rock Villa — the seat of Nigeria’s presidency.
Witnesses reported that armed officers sealed off key routes leading to the city centre, using armoured vehicles and water cannon to block access to protest hotspots. Despite the blockade, some protesters regrouped, prompting renewed volleys of teargas from security forces.
In the ensuing confusion, human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, reportedly escaped gunfire as he led the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow march. Daily Post reported that Sowore and several protesters fled the scene after security operatives opened fire and chased demonstrators from the area.
Security agents had reportedly taken control of the protest zone as early as 7 a.m., hours after police authorities warned organisers not to stage any march within the vicinity of the presidential villa.
The protesters had planned a peaceful procession to Aso Rock to demand Kanu’s unconditional release and the withdrawal of terrorism charges against him.
Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been in custody since 2021, facing seven counts of terrorism — allegations he has consistently denied.
His supporters insist his detention is politically motivated, while the federal government maintains it is a national security issue.
Born in 1967, the same year the Nigerian Civil War erupted, Kanu’s agitation for an independent Biafran state has revived memories of the bloody three-year conflict that claimed more than one million lives in southeastern Nigeria.
