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Abuja Court Bans #FreeNnamdiKanu Protest Near Aso Rock, National Assembly, others
A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has issued an interim injunction restraining Omoyele Sowore and several pro-democracy activists from organising or participating in the planned October 20 protest demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The order, granted by Justice M.G. Umar, followed an ex parte application filed by the Federal Government through the Nigeria Police Force, seeking to prevent the protest within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In the ruling, the court prohibited Sowore, the Take It Back Movement, the #RevolutionNow group, and “persons unknown” from mobilising, promoting, or participating in any demonstration around Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, or the Unity Fountain in Abuja.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/2202/2025, represents a major setback for activists who had been mobilising for the demonstration, which gained massive traction online.
Reacting to the development, Sowore a former presidential candidate accused the court of double standards, alleging that the same judge who earlier declined the government’s request in open court later granted it secretly in chambers.
“After initially declining to grant an ex parte motion to stop our planned protest in open court, the judge reportedly granted it in chambers, imposing a ban on protests at Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, and the Unity Fountain,” Sowore wrote on his 𝕏 (formerly Twitter) handle.
Meanwhile, the United States Embassy in Nigeria has issued a travel advisory urging its citizens to avoid the protest zones in Abuja due to potential unrest.
The #FreeNnamdiKanu protest was initially planned to demand the immediate release of Kanu from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS). The agitation had attracted support from several prominent politicians, including a former Vice President and a former Senate President, further amplifying its reach.
Organisers had vowed to march peacefully to Aso Rock Villa to press home their demands, but the Federal Government argued in court that such a protest could threaten national security and public peace.
With the court order now in place, security agencies are expected to tighten surveillance across the capital ahead of the planned date.