Police Arrest Nnamdi Kanu’s Brother, Lawyer Amid #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest in Abuja

Tension gripped parts of Abuja on Monday as police operatives arrested Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, along with his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest.

The protest’s convener and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, confirmed the arrests in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, alleging that the police used live ammunition and excessive force against demonstrators demanding Kanu’s release.

“The @PoliceNG team deployed to brutalize #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.

Eyewitnesses said security personnel fired multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse protesters around the Central Business District, triggering panic among commuters and disrupting early morning traffic. Several major roads in the city centre were reportedly barricaded, resulting in heavy gridlock.

Ahead of the protest, the Nigeria Police Force had issued a warning against holding demonstrations in restricted areas of the capital.

Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin explained that a Federal High Court order barred groups from staging protests within or around key government buildings, including the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.

Hundeyin advised all groups, whether in support of or against Kanu’s continued detention, to adhere strictly to the court directive.

Nnamdi Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021 and is currently facing terrorism-related charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja.

Meanwhile, Sowore and other activists have maintained calls for Kanu’s unconditional release, citing previous court rulings that ordered his freedom.