The attempt by the Federal Government to stop protest against the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, as the Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled against the Nigeria Police Force’s request to prevent the “Free Nnamdi Kanu Now” protest, planned to hold on Monday, October 20, 2025.
Giving the ruling, the presiding Judge, Justice Umar refused to grant the motion, which sought to immediately halt the protest without hearing Sowore’s side of the argument and directed the police to serve Sowore with formal notice of their application while adjourning the case until Tuesday (21/10/25) for a proper hearing.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had dispatched lawyers to file an ex parte motion to stop Omoyele Sowore, the protest organiser and activist, from holding the demonstration near Aso Rock Villa, the seat of Nigeria’s government.
Reacting to the ruling, the covener of the protest, Omoyele Sowore described it as a victory for civil liberties and reaffirmed his commitment to going ahead with the protest.
Sowore, in a statement posted on his 𝕏 handle this Friday, (17/10/25) said, “IG of PoliceNG Kayode Egbetokun dispatched police lawyers to sue me, in an effort to halt the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for Aso Rock Villa on Monday. However, the judge, Justice Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, refused to grant the ex parte motion, instead instructing him to serve me notice and adjourning the case until Tuesday for a proper hearing.”
Recall, the protest, organized under the hashtag #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, is intended to draw attention to the prolonged detention and legal fate of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Sowore who announced October 20 as the date for a historic march, assured that the protest aimed at addressing, in his words, ‘the unjust detention of Kanu’ would be conducted peacefully and lawfully.
