Security operatives on Monday fired tear gas at protesters, including human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, who had gathered in Abuja to demand the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The protest, tagged #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow, was scheduled to begin at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel and other locations across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). However, it was swiftly disrupted as police officers fired multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse early participants and bystanders.
Officers had cordoned off the hotel and surrounding streets ahead of the protest, launching tear gas canisters even before large crowds had gathered.
A correspondent on the scene noted heightened security presence across the city earlier in the day, with soldiers, police, and Department of State Services (DSS) operatives deployed to strategic locations. These included the Three Arms Zone, Eagle Square, Federal Secretariat, Unity Fountain, and key access routes to Aso Rock.
The protest came despite a court injunction last week barring Sowore and others from holding demonstrations near critical government buildings.
