ON Monday, protesters took to the streets of the Central Business District of Abuja in a #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration, aimed at forcing the Nigerian government to unconditionally release the incarcerated leader of the Independent People of Biafra (IPOB).

Mr Kanu was first arrested on October 14, 2015 and re-arrested on treason charges in Lagos on June 27, 2021, by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He has been in prison since then despite an appeal court verdict on October 13, 2023, ordering his release.

The Nigerian government argues that his IPOB group is a terrorist organisation, though Kanu claims it is a legal institution fighting for the freedom of South-East Nigeria citizens.

Led by a human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Mr Omoyele Sowore, the Monday protest held in various parts of the Federal Capital Territory amid police resistance and unwarranted use of teargas canisters.

Economy Post has compiled five remarkable events that took place on Monday.

First, the Nigeria police arrested both Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Mr Aloy Ejimakor, and his unnamed brother during the protest. According to Force Public Relations Officer, Mr Benjamin Hundeyin, “We arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, his lawyer because they insisted on making way to the restricted areas. And not just two of them, six others were also arrested around TRANSCORP, and for this same reason. So we arrested a total of eight of them. They are currently at the state CID, and once we conclude our investigation, just like we said in our statement, that anybody who violated that court order would be arrested, diligently investigated and prosecuted, once we conclude that, which we should tonight, then they’ll be prosecuted immediately. In less than 24 hours, they will be facing the court.”

Two, the police teargassed journalists who were on ground to cover the event. In fact, a crew of BusinessDay journalists were nearly killed by police officers as they fired teargas at their vehicle in Abuja, shattering its windshield.

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Witnesses told Economy Post that the journalists could have suffocated inside the car had it not been for the quick intervention of commuters waiting at the Ministry of Finance bus stop during the protest.

“How can the police leave the rioters to target journalists whose job is just to cover the event? This shows that the Bola Tinubu government is doing what he once criticised. In 2012 protest where some demonstrators were teargassed, Tinubu spoke criticised the then government of Goodluck Jonathan. Thirteen years later, he is the president and repeating the same mistakes for which he criticised Jonathan. Isn’t it interesting that he is suppressing the people exercising their rights in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration after being one of the leaders of the 2012 protest,” said an Abuja-based lawyer, Mr Zebulon Akor.

“So, protest is only justifiable when we are not in government and inimical when we are in?” he queried.

Thirdly, there was an incident involving an old woman at the Central Business District in Abuja. According to our correspondent in Abuja, she was a trader and not part of the protest. However, the police fired teargas around her, leaving her on the floor. When helpers came to rescue her, the police intensified the teargas attack, leaving everybody scampering for safety. Nobody eventually knew what happened to the elderly woman.

Fourth, a fight broke out at Zone 5 in Abuja over the propriety or otherwise of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest. Our correspondent gathered that the fight began at a newspaper stand, where a group of ‘free readers’ argued whether Mr Sowore should have organised the protest in the first place.

While a group felt that Nnamdi Kanu had been declared a terrorist and did not deserve anybody’s attention, another one felt that the arrest was political and an attempt to punish the South-East people who did not vote for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in previous elections. The argument descended into a fracas, forrcing the free readers to disperse.

Fifth, the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest coincided with a scheduled hearing of a matter between the police and Mr Sowore at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The police had filed an ex-parte motion targeted at stopping Mr Sowore and others from protesting in restricted areas.

However, all 13 courtrooms at the Federal High Court were locked till 10.30am when our correspondent visited. Judges were absent, though some lawyers were present.

Justice Mohammed Umar had on Friday barred Mr Sowore and other respondents – including Sahara Reporters Ltd., Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, the Take It Back Movement, and unnamed individuals – from holding protests near locations such as the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.