Protests demanding the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, turned violent in Abuja on Monday, leaving over 20 people injured as police clashed with demonstrators.
Eyewitnesses said the police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, who had gathered in the Utako area of the capital under the banner of the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow campaign. The protesters were calling on the government to comply with a 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted Kanu. The ruling, however, was overturned by the Supreme Court in 2023.
Kanu, who holds dual Nigerian and British citizenship, has been detained since 2021 and faces terrorism-related charges. His continued detention has fueled repeated protests and sparked widespread debate about human rights and the rule of law in Nigeria.
During Monday’s protest, two journalists from the French news agency AFP, identified as Nick Roll, an American, and John Okunyomih, a Nigerian videographer, were briefly detained while covering the event. Witnesses said police officers assaulted the journalists, seized their phones, and damaged their camera before releasing them two hours later.
One of Kanu’s lawyers, Aloy Ejimakor, was also reportedly injured during the confrontation. Several protesters, including Stephen Okon, said they were beaten as police dispersed the crowd.
“I was simply going to my place of work when the police started teargassing people. I was beaten to stupor. My son was also injured,” Okon told Anadolu Agency.
Reacting to the incident, police spokesperson Ben Hundeyin said officers used tear gas after protesters allegedly tried to march toward sensitive government locations such as the Aso Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, and the Court of Appeal.
“We did not block the road but cleared it after it was blocked by the protesters to allow free movement,” Hundeyin said.
He, however, declined to comment on reports of police brutality and the assault on journalists.
