Human rights activist and former African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, on Monday described the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), as a symbol of Nigeria’s deepening social injustice, warning that public anger could soon erupt into a massive nationwide movement.
Mr Sowore addressed a crowd around the popular Utako Market, Abuja, where the protesters regrouped after the initial disruption of their demonstration near Transcorps Hilton Hotel in the Maitama District on Monday.
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The #FreeNnamdiKanu protest coincides with the fifth anniversary of the EndSARS demonstrations, which climaxed with the shooting and killing of protesters by Nigerian security forces at Lekki Toll Gate in Lagos on 20 October 2020.
Mr Sowore, who was seen in a video clip running away from the earlier disrupted protest scene on Monday, said the agitation for Mr Kanu’s release transcends ethnic and religious divisions.
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“Free Nnamdi Kanu now! This is not a tribal issue, it is not a religious issue, it is not a sentimental issue — it is a social justice issue for us,” he told the cheering crowd.
Mr Sowore led protesters in a minute of silence for victims of the 20 October 2020, Lekki Tollgate shooting, describing the day as “one of the darkest in Nigeria’s history.”
“Today marks five years since the EndSARS protest of 2020. We take a minute to remember the heroes and heroines who were killed at the Lekki Tollgate,” he said.
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The activist said Nigerians from different ethnic backgrounds were united by shared suffering under a government that, according to him, has failed to address hunger, unemployment, and political oppression.
“We’re not here as Igbos, Yorubas, or Hausas. If you look closely, there are a lot of Igbos, Hausas, and Yorubas — all united to ensure our brother is brought out of detention,” he said.
Mr Sowore urged the Federal Government to end what he called the “sham trial” of Mr Kanu at the Federal High Court, warning that continued repression could fuel a more explosive movement.
“They know that many Nigerians are seethed with anger — not just about Nnamdi Kanu alone. There is hunger, there is starvation, there is political oppression. Very soon, this protest can be bigger than that of Nepal,” he said.
The protest, which drew supporters from various civil society groups, continued peacefully amid reports of police tear gassing protesters.
Background
Mr Kanu was first arrested in October 2015 and arraigned on charges including treasonable felony, terrorism, and broadcasting offences in the Federal High Court.
The charges stemmed from Mr Kanu’s separatist campaigns, blamed for killings and violence in the South-east, aimed at actualising the independence of the region as a sovereign Biafra nation.
The IPOB leader, a Nigerian-British citizen, was granted bail in April 2017, but in September of that year he fled Nigeria following a military raid on his home.
In June 2021, Mr Kanu was reportedly apprehended in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria, according to his legal team, in what they contend was an extraordinary rendition, bypassing formal extradition protocols. Upon his return, he was re-arraigned before the Federal High Court on amended charges.
On 13 October 2022, the Court of Appeal in Abuja declared that Mr Kanu’s rendition from Kenya was illegal and, on that basis, discharged and acquitted him of some charges.
READ ALSO: #FreeNnamdiKanu Protest: Counter-protesters rally in Abuja
The court held that the government’s failure to follow due process and its silence on where and how the rendition occurred fatally undermined the trial’s legitimacy.
However, despite the decision, Mr Kanu was not released, until the Supreme Court overturned the ruling and ordered his trial to proceed at the Federal High Court.
The prosecution has since called five witnesses to prove its case against Mr Kanu.
Mr Kanu is expected to open his defence on Tuesday.
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