Protesters gather in Abuja over continuing detention of Kanu
(MENAFN) Nigerian police used tear gas to break up demonstrations in the capital, Abuja, where protesters gathered demanding the release of separatist figure Nnamdi Kanu.
The rally, led by activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, called for Kanu’s immediate release. Kanu, who faces terrorism charges, leads the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob) and has been in detention since 2021. He denies the accusations and also holds British citizenship. Ipob seeks independence for southeastern Nigeria, which it refers to as the Biafran nation.
According to eyewitnesses, officers fired several rounds of tear gas at crowds assembling from as early as 07:00. Major roads in Abuja were blocked, causing traffic chaos across multiple districts.
Sowore stated on X that security forces had detained several people, including members of Kanu’s family and legal team. The police have not confirmed these reports.
Despite repeated confrontations with authorities, Kanu remains a revered figure among many in southeastern Nigeria. Ipob was designated a terrorist organization in 2017. Its armed faction, the Eastern Security Network, has been linked to killings and other violent acts in recent years.
Kanu was initially arrested in October 2015 on terrorism charges but skipped bail in 2017 following a military raid on his residence and fled abroad. His bail was officially revoked in March 2019, and he was later re-arrested, reportedly in Kenya, although the Kenyan government has not confirmed its involvement in his return to Nigeria.
In 2022, an appellate court ruled the charges should be dropped, but the Supreme Court overturned this decision the following year. Kanu’s legal team is set to begin his defence on Thursday after the court rejected their argument that he had no case to answer.
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