Police disperse #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow protesters with tear gas in Abuja

A fresh wave of demonstrations calling for the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, turned chaotic on Monday as police officers dispersed protesters at multiple locations across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The protesters, who initially gathered around the Maitama area, were forced to flee after police fired several rounds of tear gas canisters to break up the crowd. Witnesses said the protesters and passersby were caught in the stampede near Transcorp Hilton and adjoining streets, creating panic that sent commuters, traders, and motorists running for safety.

Undeterred, the demonstrators later regrouped at Utako, where they resumed chanting solidarity songs and displaying banners under the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow campaign. However, heavily armed operatives once again moved in, firing more tear gas to disperse them.

The group, made up of civil rights activists and pro-democracy advocate’, is demanding that the Federal Government comply with the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted Kanu of terrorism-related charges. They insist that his continued detention by the Department of State Services (DSS) amounts to a violation of that ruling.

“The call is simple,” one of the protesters said before the second dispersal. “The government should obey the law and release Nnamdi Kanu as directed by the Court of Appeal.”

Security sources told reporters that the police had been placed on high alert following intelligence about coordinated protests planned across Abuja. By midday, multiple layers of security had been deployed across key areas of the city. Soldiers, police officers, and DSS operatives were sighted at strategic points, including Eagle Square, the Federal Secretariat, and the Three Arms Zone.

At the Berger Roundabout, witnesses reported the presence of a gun truck manned by heavily armed soldiers as a signal of heightened security measures across the capital.

While calm has gradually returned to parts of the city, the heavy security presence and use of force have reignited questions about the government’s handling of civil protests and its commitment to obeying judicial rulings related to the long-standing detention of the IPOB leader.