NORMALCY has returned to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, following today’s #FreeNnamdiKanu protest that brought parts of the city to a standstill.
The demonstration, organized by supporters of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), prompted a massive security response as police and soldiers barricaded major roads to prevent further unrest.
The protest, which began early yesterday near the Transcorp Hilton and extended to key parts of the Federal Capital Territory, disrupted vehicular movement and halted business operations in the city centre.
Demonstrators, led by activist Omoyele Sowore, defied police warnings and a court order to march, demanding Kanu’s immediate release.
Chanting slogans such as “Free Nnamdi Kanu now” and “It’s our constitutional right to protest,” protesters clashed with police officers who fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Despite fleeing, some protesters shouted defiantly, “Tear gas cannot stop us.”
Security operatives blocked access routes leading to sensitive government zones, including the Federal Secretariat, Eagle Square, Unity Fountain, and the Three Arms Zone, leaving these areas inaccessible.
Even bystanders near the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Utako were caught in the chaos when police fired tear gas to scatter onlookers.
Business and social activities have today resumed across the city.
The heavy security presence that characterized the streets a day earlier had significantly reduced, and traffic flow returned to normal.
The protesters, however, have vowed to continue their demonstrations until Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021 after his arrest and extradition from Kenya, is freed.
The protest highlights ongoing tensions surrounding Kanu’s continued detention and the growing calls from civil rights activists for the government to respect citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly.