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The #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest on Monday paralysed activities at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
One of the cases that suffered a setback as a result of the protest was one involving Omoeyele Sowore, the Sahara Reporters publisher, and other organisers of the demonstration.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all of the about 13 courtrooms in the high-rise court complex were under lock and key when this reporter got access into the premises at about 9:30 a.m.
Although very few court workers, lawyers, litigants and private guards of the court were seen on the premises, no judge was sighted.
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There were heavy security deployments with water cannons in and around the intersection between Gana Street and Shehu Shagari Way by Nicon Hilton Hotel, the popular NITEL Junction at Wuse 2, Federal Secretariat environs, National Assembly Junction, to Asokoro District leading into Presidential Villa.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that activities were grounded in these areas on Monday, as a result of the protest.
Movement of vehicles was disallowed and many pedestrians were denied walking through the restricted areas, while police fired teargas in some places.
NAN reported that earlier on Friday, Judge Mohammed Umar, fixed today (Monday) for the respondents in the ex-parte motion filed by the police, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), to show cause why the interim order made by the court should be vacated.
Mr Umar had restrained Mr Sowore, the 1st respondent, and others from protesting at some major government facilities, including the Aso Rock Villa, today for the release of detained Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The judge also barred the protesters from anywhere close to the National Assembly, the Force Headquarters, the Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
Others named in the interim order include Sahara Reporters Ltd, Sahara Reporters’ Media Foundation, Take It Back Movement (TIB), for the Transformation of Nigeria Or Any Form of Organisation or Any Other Person(s) Acting Either Express or Implied Instruction or Any Other Organisation or Group With the Like Intention; and Unknown Persons as 2nd to 5th respondents respectively.
The judge granted the ex-parte motion moved by the police lawyer, Wisdom Madaki, on Friday.
The judge also made an order of abridgement of time “within which the respondents will respond to the application on notice to cause the ex-parte order to be set aside on Monday, the 20 October 2025 at 9.00 a.m.”
Mr Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until Monday (today) for hearing of the motion on notice.
The ex-parte motion was marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025.
In the affidavit filed in support of the ex-parte motion, Bassey Ibithan, a police officer attached to Directorate of Legal Services, Force Headquarters, Abuja, stated that if the application was not granted, the protest might threaten national security.
NAN reports that Mr Sowore had organised the protest for the release of Mr Kanu.
Mr Sowore, the 2019 and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (ACC), said the peaceful protest was necessary to secure the release of Mr Kanu from what he described as an illegal detention.
However, there have also been ongoing calls for political solution to Kanu’s trial who is facing alleged terrorism offence at the Federal High Court before Justice James Omotosho.(NAN)
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Nnamdi Kanu
The protest, intended to be held in Abuja and other parts of the country, seeks the release of Mr Kanu, who has been in custody since he was arrested in Kenya and brought back to Nigeria to face terrorism charges over his separatist activities.
Mr Kanu, who was first arrested in 2015 and charged with treasonable felony, champions the indepence of the Igbo-dominated South-east along with some parts of the neighbouring states as a sovereign Biafra state.
He was granted bail in 2017 and subsequently fled Nigeria after soldiers invaded his home in Afara-Ukwu, Abia State, in September 2017.
He was outside Nigeria until he was rearrested in Kenya in June 2017 and brought back to Nigeria to continue facing his trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
In the charges pending against Mr Kanu at the Federal High Court in Abuja, the Nigerian government blamed many violent attacks and killings in the South-east region on Mr Kanu’s inciteful rhetorics aimed at actualising his secessionist goal.
The prosecution has since closed its case with five witnesses, prompting the trial court to fix Thursday (23 October) for Mr Kanu to open his defence.
Human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, had called on leaders and people of the South-east as well as other well-meaning Nigerians to join the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest to pressure the federal government to free the IPOB leader from what he described as an illegal detention.
Although the protest was intended to be nationwide, it only took a significant hold in Abuja, where Mr Sowore led the demonstration and addressed protesters on Monday.
