Police officers in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, fired tear gas on Monday to disperse protesters led by activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore, who gathered to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The protest, which began early in the morning around the Federal High Court premises, turned tense as security forces blocked major roads and used crowd-control measures to break up the gathering. The disruption caused heavy traffic gridlock across parts of the city centre, witnesses told local media.
Sowore, who leads the RevolutionNow movement and publishes Sahara Reporters, accused the police of arresting several demonstrators, including Kanu’s relatives and members of his legal team.
In a post on X, he said: “Security operatives have arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s family members and lawyers at the protest ground in Abuja. We are calling for his unconditional release.”
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Kanu, who holds both Nigerian and British citizenship, has been detained since 2021 on terrorism charges, which he denies. He heads IPOB, an outlawed movement seeking independence for a separate Biafran state in Nigeria’s southeast. The group was designated a terrorist organisation by the Nigerian government in 2017, a decision that human rights groups have repeatedly criticised.
His case has dragged through the courts for years. Kanu was first arrested in 2015 and later released on bail, but fled the country in 2017 after a military raid on his home. He resurfaced in 2021 when the government announced his re-arrest, saying he was brought back from Kenya — though Nairobi has never confirmed its involvement.
In 2022, an appeal court dismissed the charges against him, ruling that his extradition was unlawful. However, the Supreme Court overturned that decision in 2023, allowing his trial to resume. His defence team is set to open arguments on Thursday after judges dismissed their “no-case submission” last week.
Eyewitnesses said protesters began assembling around 7 a.m. before police arrived in large numbers. Officers reportedly fired several rounds of tear gas to scatter the crowd, forcing many to flee toward nearby streets.
Some demonstrators chanted solidarity songs and carried placards calling for Kanu’s freedom, accusing the government of “political persecution.”
Despite mounting legal hurdles, Kanu remains deeply popular across Nigeria’s southeast, where many still view him as a symbol of the Biafran struggle. His continued detention has fuelled recurring protests and tensions between security forces and IPOB supporters.
With Kanu’s trial set to resume later this week, fresh demonstrations could erupt unless authorities ease restrictions or engage with his supporters.