Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, is in turmoil following clashes between security operatives and protesters of #freeNnamdiKanuNow march, who are
demanding the release of detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) on Monday.
The demonstrators, led by the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, had converged as early as 6:50 a.m. around the headquarters of the Ministry of Women Affairs.
The protesters were chanting, “Don’t teargas us! Respect rule of law! We have rights to protest; we’re Nigerians!” when security operatives opened fire
Following the refusal of the protesters to disperse, security forces are said to have fired live bullets to disperse the protesters.
Before the clampdown, the protesters had vowed to march to the Presidential Villa to press home their demand for Kanu’s release, accusing the government of flouting court orders.
To ensure curtailment of the activities of the group of protesters, a combined team, drawn from the Nigerian Police Force, Guards Brigade, Department of State Services (DSS), and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), had mounted heavy security around the Presidential Villa since Sunday.
At strategic points leading to the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Court of Appeal, Force Headquarters, and the popular Eagle Square, armed personnel were stationed to prevent unauthorised movement.
Earlier, the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore led the protest in Abuja in front of the Trancorp Hilton Hotel.
The protest tagged: #freeNnamdiKanuNow was closely monitored by the police who barricaded the area to prevent further movement by Sowore and his group.
When the group refused to stop their advancement, the Police fired teargas near the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja to break up the gathering of the demonstrators.
A large contingent of police and military personnel had earlier surrounded the area, blocking access to nearby streets.
In the Utako area of Abuja, where the protesters regrouped after fleeing from the Maitama area, they continued chanting solidarity songs and displayed banners demanding the release of Kanu, before armed security operatives also forcefully dispersed them by firing teargas cannisters.
Meanwhile, traffic in Abuja has worsened as Security operatives extended roadblocks at the entry points of the city.
Combined security forces drawn from the Guards Brigade and the Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigerian Police have mounted more roadblocks at the entry points of the nation’s capital, and also at strategic places leading to the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Court of Appeal Headquarters, Force Headquarters and the popular Eagle Square.
This led to heavy traffic gridlock around Bwari, Zuba, Nyanya axis and other entry points to the nation’s capital.The road that connects Bwari to the City Centre was blocked at the War College Area in Ushafa and at Dutse-Sokale area.
Reactions are trailing the ##FreeNnamdiKanu protest with the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday condemning the protest and describing it as “the hand of Jacob and the voice of Esau.”
The party stated that while freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are sacrosanct in any democracy, “what we are witnessing is far from a legitimate call for justice.”
Mogaji Seye Oladejo, spokesman of the party in the state described the protest as “a dangerous display of reckless politics, carefully scripted by desperate opposition figures who see chaos as their last political weapon.”
In a statement he signed, Oladejo said: “This so-called protest is not about justice; it is about political frustration. It represents the height of bitter, destructive politics, an attempt by those who have been roundly rejected by Nigerians at the polls to exploit national issues in search of cheap relevance.
“We find it deeply disturbing that certain opposition leaders, who should know better, are shamelessly endorsing and sponsoring these street theatrics.
“Their involvement reveals what can only be described as a classic case of the Biblical hand of Jacob but the voice of Esau, deceitful manipulation hiding behind the façade of activism. But let them be reminded: they will not gain in the streets what they have disgracefully lost at the polls.
“The insensitivity of the organizers and their sponsors is shocking. At a time when the South East is still bleeding from years of mindless bloodshed, kidnappings, and enforced sit-at-home orders, all consequences of violent agitation, these individuals have chosen to mock the memories of the victims. They ignore the tears of widows, the pains of orphans, and the devastation of communities ruined by senseless violence. Their protest is not a demand for justice; it is a betrayal of the sacrifices of the innocent.
“For years, ordinary citizens in the South East have lived in fear, traders afraid to open their shops, transporters grounded by threats, children deprived of education, and families shattered by insecurity. Yet, instead of standing with their people to heal these wounds, these political opportunists have returned to fan the embers of division, hoping to profit from instability.
“Let it be clear: no one is above the law. The case of Mr. Nnamdi Kanu remains a judicial matter properly before the courts. Nigeria’s judiciary is competent, independent, and capable of delivering justice without recourse to mob pressure or street intimidation,” the statement concluded.
