Some protesters have taken to the streets in Abuja to demonstrate against the ongoing rally demanding an unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), from detention.
PREMIUM TIMES reporters saw some of the counter-protesters at about 10.00 a.m., around the Labour House bridge in the central area.
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Some of them were waving the Nigerian flag, with music playing in the background.
Others held placards with the inscription, ‘No Pressure to the Rule of Law’, to counter the demand for the release of Mr Kanu, who is facing terrorism charges that stemmed from his separatist campaigns for the independence of Nigeria’s South-east region as a sovereign Biafra nation.
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In the charges filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja against Mr Kanu, who has been in detention since June 2021, the Nigerian government accused him of inciting violence and killings in the region.
The counter-protest followed the rally, tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, organised by the human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, aimed at demanding Mr Kanu’s release from custody.
At the scene of the counter-protest on Monday, our reporters saw three 30-seater Coaster buses that conveyed the demonstrators to the location.
The police were present under the bridge with barricades mounted to block vehicular movement.
The group dispersed about 20 minutes later.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported the disruption of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest by the police, who fired teargas at the protesters including Mr Sowore near the Transcorps Hilton Hotel in the Maitama District on Monday.
READ ALSO: Court-ordered medical panel declares Nnamdi Kanu fit to stand terrorism trial
There have been reports of the arrest of some of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters, including a prominent member of Mr Kanu’s legal team, Aloy Ejimakor.
The protest and the barricades mounted by the police on major roads around the central area and the Three Arms Zone to contain the movement of the protesters grounded activities in major areas of the capital city on Monday.
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