The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja became the stage for a tense confrontation on Monday as security forces clashed with demonstrators calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
While protesters decried an “unprovoked attack,” the Nigeria Police Force has staunchly defended its actions, stating it was a lawful operation to protect critical national infrastructure and enforce a standing court order.
The planned #FreeNnamdiKanu protest drew crowd near the Transcorp Hilton hotel, a popular site for demonstrations in the capital. However, the gathering was short-lived.
A heavy contingent of police, military, and civil defence operatives moved in, firing tear gas canisters to disperse the crowd. The air thickened with smoke, sending protesters and bystanders alike scrambling for safety.
There was heavy security presence across the city’s strategic points. Eagle Square, the Unity Fountain, and the sensitive Three Arms Zone—housing the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly, and the Supreme Court—were all heavily fortified. Access roads to the Federal Secretariat were barricaded, creating a gridlock and a visible show of force intended to preempt any movement towards these high-security areas.
In the aftermath, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today to articulate the police’s position. He framed the response as a necessary measure for national security, pointing to a specific court order that restricts protests in designated zones.
“These are critical infrastructure that needs to be protected and don’t forget that these are places that protests have happened in the past and things were destroyed. We have records of that,” Hundeyin stated, speaking from Channels Television’s Abuja studio. “So, it is our duty as an agency to protect lives and properties; to ensure law and order.”
He emphasised that the prohibition was not a blanket ban on the right to protest, but a targeted restriction on specific locations. “You see, FCT is very big. You can protest anywhere and your voices will still be heard, it will still be reported by the press,” he told the show host, Seun Okinbaloye.
His comments underscored a official stance that seeks to balance constitutional rights with what it perceives as overriding security concerns. “So, whatever step – all lawful steps – we need to take to achieve that mandate is what we’ll take and that was what we did.”
This justification, however, stands in stark contrast to the account from the protest organizers. Omoyele Sowore, a prominent activist leading the demonstration, described a scene of excessive and unwarranted force. In an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Sowore alleged that the security operatives escalated the situation without warning.
“There were about 10 trucks that arrived at the same time we began the protest. There was no provocation on our part. As we had promised, it was an orderly and peaceful protest. It was an unprovoked attack from the police and a combined team of security operatives,” Sowore asserted.
He provided a detailed, first-hand account of the moment the protest was disrupted. “We had just started the protest in front of the Transcorp Hotel when a huge contingent of police, army and civil defence officers showed up. We told them we were not their enemies and that the protest was not against them. But suddenly, from nowhere, they began shooting at us, tear gas and even some live bullets. Luckily, I don’t think anyone was hit by live ammunition, but they were shooting all around us.”
Sowore also confirmed reports of arrests, claiming that Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother and his lawyer were among those detained. “Eventually, they arrested some people. I heard that Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother was arrested and beaten, and so was his lawyer. They have been taken to the FCT Command,” he explained. This claim adds a layer of personal and legal significance to the crackdown, directly targeting individuals closely associated with Kanu’s case.
The confrontation did not come as a complete surprise. A day prior, the police had issued a public warning, urging compliance with the court order restricting demonstrations around the Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, and Eagle Square. The U.S. Embassy had also issued a security alert, signalling anticipation of significant unrest.
At the heart of the protests is the protracted legal battle of Nnamdi Kanu, who is facing charges of terrorism and treasonable felony. Initially arrested in 2015, he was granted bail in 2017 only to flee the country after a military raid on his home. He was subsequently re-arrested and brought back to Nigeria in 2021 to face trial, a event that continues to stir strong emotions and periodic waves of public demonstration.
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