Heavy Security Presence in Abuja as #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest Sparks Tension, Traffic Gridlock

A heavy security presence on Monday morning caused major traffic congestion along the Abuja–Keffi Expressway as security agencies tightened control at key entry points into the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest.

Unlike previous demonstrations where military vehicles were stationed at the Nyanya Bridge, only a handful of policemen, about seven officers with a Hilux patrol van, were sighted at the location.

However, at the Karu Bridge, soldiers were deployed on both sides of the road, forcing motorists to move slowly through multiple checkpoints and routine inspections.

The protest, championed by activist Omoyele Sowore, seeks the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Protesters had vowed to march toward the Presidential Villa despite a subsisting court order restricting demonstrations around strategic national sites.

By 7:00 a.m., joint security operatives, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Army, and other paramilitary agencies, had mounted barricades on major roads leading to the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly Complex, and Eagle Square.

Tension heightened as police fired teargas in parts of the city to disperse gathering protesters.

Teargas canisters were discharged near the bridge close to the Nigeria Police Headquarters and around the Ministry of Finance Junction, forcing pedestrians and commuters to flee for safety.

Security operatives also restricted pedestrian movement across several adjoining roads.

Benjamin Hundeyin, Police spokesman confirmed that the deployment was in compliance with a Federal High Court order obtained by the federal government in a case involving Omoyele Sowore and others.

“The order restrains the parties and any group acting under their instruction from staging protests within and around Aso Rock Villa and its environs,” Hundeyin said, warning that violators risk arrest and prosecution.

He added that the police remained committed to maintaining peace and enforcing lawful restrictions to prevent any breakdown of public order.

Despite the restrictions, Sowore insisted that the protest would go ahead peacefully.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday, he accused the government of defying multiple court judgments ordering Kanu’s release.

“Our legal team will challenge any alleged court order the moment it is served, but nothing will stop this mass movement.

“October 20 remains sacred. We march peacefully, lawfully, and powerfully”, Sowore declared.

He condemned what he called the “illegal detention” of Kanu, citing the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted the IPOB leader.

“The government is disobeying its own laws and mocking the 1999 Constitution. The Court of Appeal cleared Mr. Kanu in 2022, yet the DSS has refused to release him for a single day,” Sowore added.

Kanu’s prolonged detention continues to stir political and regional tension. Arrested in 2015 and granted bail in 2017 on health grounds by Binta Nyako (Justice), he fled the country after a military raid on his Abia home.

He was re-arrested in Kenya in June 2021 and returned to Nigeria to face charges bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony.

Although the Court of Appeal struck out all charges in 2022, the Supreme Court later reinstated seven counts, ruling that Kanu still had questions to answer.

His ongoing trial is now before James Omotosho, Justice, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, who recently dismissed a “no-case submission” by Kanu’s legal team.

The court held that the government had established a prima facie case requiring Kanu to enter his defence.

Omotosho also directed the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) to evaluate Kanu’s health status, after which the court ruled that his ailments were not life-threatening and could be managed within the Department of State Services (DSS) facility.

The judge consequently refused Kanu’s request for transfer to the National Hospital, Abuja.

As the day unfolded, movement across central Abuja remained severely restricted, with security operatives stationed at Aso Drive, Eagle Square, and the Central Business District.

Thousands of commuters were stranded for hours as traffic stretched from Nyanya through Karu to the city centre.

While protesters maintained that their movement was peaceful, authorities reiterated a zero-tolerance stance toward any action that could disrupt public order or threaten national security.