Protesters Defy Ban, Insist on March to Aso Villa

A confrontation may be looming between security agencies and organisers of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest as activists insist on marching to the Presidential Villa today (Monday) despite a court order banning demonstrations near sensitive government areas.

The Federal High Court in Abuja had issued an interim injunction restraining the group from protesting around the Villa, the National Assembly, and other key institutions.
However, the organisers vowed to proceed with what they described as a peaceful rally across the Federal Capital Territory and parts of the South-East.

According to Damilare Adenola, Director of Mobilisation for the Take It Back Movement, the protest will hold nationwide as planned.

“Nothing shall discourage us. Marching peacefully anywhere in the country is our constitutionally guaranteed right,” Adenola said. “There is no going back on our resolve to fight this inhumane and illegal act aimed at eroding our rights and compromising our justice system.”

The movement, supported by some opposition parties, is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who remains in custody on charges including terrorism, treason, and incitement.

The Federal Government accuses Kanu of promoting Biafra’s secession through inflammatory statements on social media and Radio Biafra. IPOB was declared a terrorist organisation in 2017, and Kanu fled the country while on bail the same year before being re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 — an incident that sparked controversy over alleged illegal rendition.

While some describe his detention as political persecution, others see it as a lawful prosecution. A recent medical evaluation reportedly declared him fit to stand trial.

Authorities are said to be uneasy about the planned protest, particularly as it coincides with the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS demonstrations of October 2020.

The court order halting the rally was issued on Friday by Justice Mohammed Umar following an ex parte motion filed by the Nigeria Police Force. It restrains the organisers, led by activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, from protesting near the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
The order remains valid pending the hearing of the substantive motion scheduled for today.