Tension is building in the Federal Capital Territory as organisers of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest vowed to proceed with their planned march to the Presidential Villa on Monday, despite a court order and multiple security warnings.

The demonstration, aimed at pressuring the Federal Government to release the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, comes amid heightened security alerts and fears of a possible clash with law enforcement agencies.

A Federal High Court in Abuja had on Friday issued an interim injunction restraining the protesters from marching near sensitive government institutions, including the Presidential Villa, National Assembly Complex, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.

The order, granted by Justice Mohammed Umar, followed an ex parte application filed by the Nigeria Police Force on behalf of the Federal Government. It is expected to remain in force pending the hearing of the substantive motion, scheduled for Monday.

Despite the judicial restriction, organisers have vowed to go ahead.
The Director of Mobilisation for the Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, confirmed that the protest would hold as planned in Abuja and across South-Eastern states.

> “Nothing shall discourage us! Marching peacefully anywhere in the country is our constitutionally guaranteed right,” Adenola declared.
“There is no going back on our resolve to fight this inhumane, illegal, and strongman act scripted to erode our rights and capture what remains of our criminal justice system.”

Counsel to the organisers, Maxwell Opara, also confirmed that his clients had not been served with the court order and that police had been duly notified of the protest.

“We have informed them, and they are expected to provide security not to obstruct. We don’t want miscreants to hijack the protest,” Opara said.

“They went to court, but we haven’t seen the order. They are asking the court to stop protesters from going to the Villa or the National Assembly.”

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, one of the leading voices behind the protest, disclosed that more than 115 lawyers, medical personnel, and journalists have been mobilised nationwide to support the demonstration.

> “Mobilisation is very strong,” Sowore said. “We engaged marketplaces, religious centres, and even met with former President Goodluck Jonathan and diaspora groups. Expect a large, disciplined turnout in Abuja and coordinated actions in several states and embassies abroad.”

Adenola added that a team of volunteer lawyers is on standby to offer immediate legal aid to any detained protesters, while insisting that the onus of maintaining peace lies with security agencies.

“Protesters are always peaceful in this country; it is the police that usually disrupt the peace,” he argued.

The protest has gained significant traction after receiving public backing from former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, both of whom urged the Federal Government to embrace dialogue over continued detention of Kanu.

Obi reiterated that Kanu’s detention was unnecessary and counterproductive.

“There was no need for Kanu’s arrest in the first place,” he said. “Negotiation remains the only sustainable path to resolving separatist agitations. I said it before, and I stand by it.”

The Obidient Movement’s National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, described Obi’s position as consistent with his belief in equity and justice for all Nigerians.

Similarly, NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, defended citizens’ right to peaceful protest, while the Labour Party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, accused the government of double standards.

> “The government loses sympathy when it jails Kanu while negotiating with bandits who have committed far worse atrocities,” Akeni stated, alleging that the inconsistency has drawn global criticism.

Within Kanu’s legal circle, opinions on the protest remain divided.
Senior Advocate of Nigeria Onyechi Ikpeazu, who leads the defence, said he would not oppose peaceful protest but maintained that his focus remains on the ongoing court proceedings.

> “As a lawyer, I am focused on the judicial process and will not take the matter outside the courtroom,” he said.
“Calls for a presidential pardon do not apply because Kanu has not been convicted.”

However, another of Kanu’s lawyers, Aloy Ejimakor, openly endorsed the protest and confirmed his intention to participate.

> “It is a civic and constitutional right for Nigerians to protest. I am a Nigerian; I will join the protest,” he said, clarifying that he had not discussed the plan directly with Kanu.

Security agencies have been deployed nationwide to prevent violence and safeguard critical infrastructure ahead of the protest.

The Federal Capital Territory Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) issued a stern warning to protesters against vandalism or destruction of property.

Commandant Olusola Odumosu said:

“The corps will not condone any destruction or theft of public or private property in the name of protest.
We are prepared to ensure peace in the territory while protecting critical national assets.”

He confirmed the deployment of personnel across strategic flashpoints in Abuja and directed officers to maintain restraint and apply non-kinetic crowd management strategies.

Adding to the heightened alert, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) declared all correctional facilities nationwide as “Red Zones” ahead of the demonstration.

In a statement issued by spokesperson Umar Abubakar, the agency warned the public to stay away from prison premises.

> “All correctional centres are restricted areas. Anyone without official business there should stay off to avoid incidents or security breaches,” Abubakar said, stressing that any encroachment would be treated as a serious threat.

Nnamdi Kanu has been in detention since 2021 after being re-arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria under controversial circumstances.
He faces charges bordering on terrorism, treasonable felony, and incitement over his campaign for Biafra’s independence through the proscribed IPOB movement.

While the Federal Government insists on his prosecution, many view his continued detention as political persecution, arguing that dialogue remains the best path to resolving separatist agitations.

Monday’s protest, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS demonstrations, is being described by observers as potentially one of the most politically charged confrontations since the start of the Tinubu administration.