Nigeria Police Block Peaceful #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protesters, Seize Vehicles, Driver and Posters

ABUJA – October 20, 2025

Confusion and tension have gripped parts of Abuja as Nigerian police officers reportedly intercepted different groups of peaceful protesters on their way to the Arena, where the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow rally was scheduled to hold today.

Several eyewitnesses told Peoples Chronicles that their buses were stopped, passengers ordered out, and the bus driver, together with the bus and protest materials confiscated by armed officers.

One of the stranded protesters, who spoke under the condition of anonymity for fear of police brutality, narrated their ordeal, saying:

“We were going to the Arena where we were supposed to gather for #FreeNnamdiKanu peaceful protest when our bus was forced to stop by the Nigerian police. They blocked the entire road and ordered us to turn the vehicle around. We turned around, however, they refused for us to go back, rather they took our protest posters, sent us out of the bus, and then took away the bus with the driver inside. They said their aim is to protect the government against peaceful protesters. As you can see, we are at the central mosque, and we are all stranded.”

The incident adds to growing reports of intimidation and violence meted out against demonstrators demanding the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Kanu has remained in illegal detention since his controversial abduction from Kenya in June 2021, despite multiple court rulings and international directives ordering his release. Both the Nigerian Court of Appeal and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention have discharged and acquitted him, declaring his continued incarceration unlawful. Yet, the Proscribed Nigerian government has refused to comply, keeping him under solitary confinement in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Earlier in the day, tension heightened when security forces opened fire and deployed tear gas at protesters gathered near the Transcorp Hilton area. Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who is leading the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow campaign, alleged that the police brutally arrested Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Kanu Meme, and his lawyer, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, alongside other participants. Sowore stated that the detainees were beaten before being taken to the FCT command, a move that has sparked widespread outrage among human rights groups and legal practitioners.

As of press time, parts of the Federal Capital Territory, including the Transcorp corridor, Central Area, and Garki districts, were experiencing heavy traffic gridlock due to road blockades and police presence. The situation has disrupted movement across the city.

However, despite the violence and arrests, protesters across Abuja and beyond have vowed not to relent in their demand for justice. They insist that their movement remains peaceful and rooted in the constitutional right to free expression and assembly. “We will continue until Nnamdi Kanu is released,” one demonstrator said, “because what is happening in this country is beyond terrible.”