Security operatives on Monday arrested Prince Kanu, the younger brother of the detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, during today’s #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in Abuja.
Also detained was Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, who was reportedly addressing the protesters before being whisked away by police officers.
The protest, which began around 8 a.m., quickly turned chaotic, forcing commuters to flee as security operatives sealed off major routes and arrested several participants, including Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor.
Eyewitnesses said the police had blocked access to key government institutions such as the National Assembly, the Federal Secretariat, and Eagles Square, forcing workers to trek long distances amid clouds of teargas.
Reporters observed convoys of police, civil defence, and military vehicles patrolling major parts of the city, including the Wuse-Berger and Transcorp Hilton axes, to prevent further gatherings.
The protest, led by Omoyele Sowore, chairman and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) was organized to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021, facing terrorism charges tied to his violent campaign for an independent Biafra.
Kanu’s lawyer arrested as protest begins:
In a post via his X handle at 7:58 a.m., Mr Ejimakor confirmed his arrest alongside other activists shortly after the protest began. “We’ve just been arrested. Myself, Prince Emanuel and others. We are at FCT Command CID, No. 1 Zaria Street, Garki 2, Abuja,” he wrote. Ejimakor, a key member of Kanu’s legal team, had been involved in mobilizing protesters across Abuja and other Nigerian cities.
Before his arrest, he was seen in a social media video leading chants of “Free Nnamdi Kanu now!” alongside Sowore near the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) building in Maitama District. The one-minute, 55-second clip ended abruptly after gunshots were heard, dispersing the crowd. Sowore was seen fleeing the scene, as one protester shouted, “Let’s go to Berger!” It remains unclear if that was the point at which Ejimakor was apprehended.
