By Muhammad Mamman
Police officers deployed to disperse a #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest have arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother and his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, according to protest organiser Omoyele Sowore.
Posting on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Sowore claimed that police not only detained Kanu’s brother and Ejimakor but also picked up bystanders during the protest.
“The @PoliceNG team deployed to brutalise #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, and his lawyer, @AloyEjimakor, as well as innocent bystanders. They were beaten and taken to the FCT command. The police must release them immediately!” Sowore wrote.
Earlier, Daily Trust reported that police fired live rounds to disperse demonstrators demanding the release of Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021.
There were also reports that security personnel fired multiple tear gas canisters in the Central Business District of Abuja, sparking panic and disrupting early morning traffic. Major roads in the city centre were blocked, causing severe congestion and confusion.
Ahead of the protest, the Nigeria Police Force had declared parts of the capital “no-protest zones”.
Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin stated that a Federal High Court order barred protests near key government institutions including Aso Rock, the National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
He urged all groups—regardless of their stance on Kanu’s continued detention—to comply fully with the court’s ruling.
Kanu’s trial on terrorism-related charges is ongoing at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Meanwhile, Sowore and fellow activists continue to demand his unconditional release.
