#FreeNnamdiKanuNow: Umuahia Locked Down as Businesses and Schools Shut in Solidarity with Protest
UMUAHIA – OCTOBER 20, 2025
Total shutdown hit the Abia State capital on Monday as residents of Umuahia withdrew from all business and social activities in solidarity with the ongoing #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protests sweeping across Nigeria and parts of the world.
The city, which is the hometown of the illegally detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, witnessed an unprecedented calm as shops, schools, markets, and banks closed their doors, leaving the usually bustling streets deserted.
The solidarity lockdown came as part of the nationwide demonstrations organized by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, calling for the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021.
From the early hours of Monday, residents reportedly stayed indoors, transport operators parked their vehicles, and security personnel were stationed at major junctions to prevent mass gatherings.
Eyewitnesses described the situation as “total compliance” with the protest spirit. “There’s no movement anywhere in town. Even Okada riders and bus operators stayed away. Everyone is in solidarity with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” said a resident who spoke to Peoples Chronicles from Aba Road.
The atmosphere across Umuahia was one of both tension and defiance, as residents voiced frustration over the government’s refusal to obey court orders directing Kanu’s release. Recall that Nigeria’s Court of Appeal and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had both cleared Kanu of terrorism-related charges and ordered his immediate freedom, rulings the Proscribed Federal Government has continuously ignored.
Meanwhile, reports from Abuja indicated that security forces arrested Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Kanu Meme, and his lawyer, Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, during the capital protest, while others were teargassed and assaulted. Despite these crackdowns, the protest appears to be spreading.
