There are strong indications of a possible face-off between security operatives and #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters today as organisers insist on marching to the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to demand the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
Their defiance comes despite an interim injunction by the Federal High Court in Abuja restraining the group from protesting near key government institutions, including the Presidential Villa, National Assembly Complex, Force Headquarters, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
The order, granted by Justice Mohammed Umar on Friday following an ex parte application by the Nigeria Police Force, will remain in effect pending the hearing of the substantive motion slated for today.
However, the organisers, led by human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, have vowed to proceed with the protest, describing it as a constitutionally guaranteed right.
Director of Mobilization for the Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, confirmed that the protest would hold as scheduled in Abuja and simultaneously across several South-East states.
“Nothing shall discourage us. Marching peacefully anywhere in the country is our constitutionally guaranteed right,” Adenola declared. “There is no going back on our resolve to resist this inhumane and illegal act designed to erode our rights and compromise justice.”
Kanu, who has been in custody since his controversial re-arrest in Kenya in 2021, faces charges of terrorism, treason, and incitement. The Federal Government accuses him of agitating for Biafra’s secession through inflammatory rhetoric on social media and Radio Biafra broadcasts.
While the government maintains that his prosecution is lawful, many of his supporters describe it as political persecution. Kanu’s health has been a recurring concern, although a recent medical report declared him fit to stand trial.
The government is reportedly uneasy about the protest’s timing, as it coincides with the fifth anniversary of the October 2020 #EndSARS demonstrations that culminated in the alleged Lekki Toll Gate massacre.
Counsel to the organisers, Maxwell Opara, said on Sunday that his clients had not been served any court order, insisting that the rally would go on.
“We have notified the police and expect them to provide security. We don’t want miscreants to hijack the protest,” Opara stated. “Even the Presidential Villa should be a symbolic space where citizens can freely express grievances.”
Adenola accused the police of provoking violence during protests, saying, “Protesters are usually coordinated; it is the police who often disrupt peace. They must protect protesters, not attack them.”
He also disclosed that over 100 lawyers had been placed on standby to provide legal aid in case of arrests or detentions.
Sowore, in a separate statement, revealed that mobilisation efforts had spread nationwide, including outreach to marketplaces, religious centres, and high-profile meetings with figures such as former President Goodluck Jonathan and diaspora groups.
“We have a strong national mobilisation — 115 lawyers, medical personnel, and media teams ready. Expect a large, disciplined turnout in Abuja and coordinated actions across multiple states and embassies,” Sowore said.
The protest has gained backing from key opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, both of whom urged dialogue as a pathway to resolving separatist agitations.
Obi reiterated that Kanu’s continued detention was unnecessary, saying, “I will consult, negotiate, and discuss with anybody who is agitating. Dialogue is the only sustainable solution.”
Labour Party’s interim spokesperson Tony Akeni accused the government of double standards, arguing that it engages with armed bandits while prosecuting Kanu.
“This inconsistency has eroded public trust and invited international criticism,” Akeni added.
Within Kanu’s legal team, opinions are split. Senior lawyer Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) said his focus remains on the judicial process, not protests, while another counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, publicly endorsed the demonstration and pledged to participate.
“Protesting is a civic right, and I’ll be part of it,” Ejimakor said, though he clarified that he had not discussed the matter directly with Kanu.
Security agencies have intensified deployments across the Federal Capital Territory to forestall unrest. FCT Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Olusola Odumosu, warned that vandalism or violence during the protest would not be tolerated.
“The corps will not condone any destruction or theft of public or private property in the name of protest,” Odumosu said, adding that officers would adopt restraint and non-kinetic crowd control methods.
Similarly, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) declared all correctional centres nationwide as “Red Zones,” warning the public to stay away.
NCoS spokesman Umar Abubakar stated, “Correctional centres are restricted areas. Any attempt to encroach will be treated as a security threat.”
As the nation braces for the protests, all eyes are on Abuja, where the government’s handling of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow march could test the balance between national security and citizens’ democratic freedoms.
