Nnamdi Kanu: Abuja is disrupted by protests

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Following yesterday's demonstration calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the incarcerated leader of

the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), economic activity and mobility in Abuja, the country's capital, were disrupted.

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of the Federal Capital Territory as early as 7:00 am on Monday, led by Omoyele Sowore, the former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress and organizer of the #RevolutionNow movement.

The marchers, who were calling for Kanu's release, disregarded many warnings from security forces and a fictitious court order that prohibited them from holding protests in the capital city.
The demonstrators arrived at the Unity Fountain at approximately 6:50 am with the intention of moving toward the Presidential Villa and the Federal Secretariat, according to our correspondents who were on the scene.

When the agitators arrived at the intersection leading to the Federal Secretariat, which is next to the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in the Maitama Area, a coordinated group of security officers who had placed armored personnel carriers at key points stopped them from moving forward.

Kanu has been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 and is charged with seven counts of terrorism and treason.
After a military raid of his Abia State house in 2015, the IPOB leader was first taken into custody, released on bail in 2017, and then left.


The protesters, who included members of pro-democracy organizations and civil rights campaigners, were putting pressure on the government to abide by the Court of Appeal's 2022 ruling that cleared Kanu.

Banks, the federal secretariat, and others are locked.

Since Sunday, security around the Presidential Villa has been strengthened by a joint security force from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the Guards Brigade, and the police, according to ONIKEWIDE.

They set up roadblocks at key locations that led to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Eagle Square, the Court of Appeal Headquarters, the National Assembly, the Presidential Villa, and the Force Headquarters.

After the demonstrators demanded that they march to the Presidential Villa to emphasize their demand that the IPOB leader be detained, security was stepped up.

It was learned that this development resulted in the closure of a few Federal Secretariat ministries, departments, agencies, and banks.

Among the ministries are the following: Foreign Affairs, Women's Affairs, Education, Labor and Employment, Police Affairs, Science and Technology, Health, Finance, Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, and Head of Service.

Other businesses in the same location, including banks, Servicom, VIO, and FRSC, were unable to operate.

A variety of civil personnel told our correspondent that they avoided their offices in the nation's capital to avoid getting embroiled in the possible gunfire between the security forces and the demonstrators.

When she saw the traffic on the road, a civil servant who only went by Sandra stated that she had to go back home.

"I live in Kubwa, and when I learned what was going on, I had to go back home after riding my motorcycle to the intersection where I would catch a ride to my Federal Secretariat office. She stated, "I don't want to be caught in any crossfire."

Mr. Olaniawo, a banker, claimed that by leaving his house early and passing through security after a thorough inspection, he was able to get to his job in the Maitama Area.

As security guards fire bullets and canisters, protesters run away.

The operatives used rubber bullets and tear gas canisters to scatter Sowore and other protesters who were walking near the Transcorp Hilton Hotel intersection while chanting solidarity songs shortly after the demonstration started.

After the police officers ignored their demands, Sowore, the demonstrators' leader, was observed leaving the demonstration site.

"Avoid using tear gas on us! Don't use tear gas on us! Observe the law! As Sowore and other demonstrators warned some police officers before to the firing of bullets and canisters, they chanted, "It is our rights to protest, we have rights to protest, we are Nigerians."

After a few minutes, the protesters gathered again in the Utako area to continue their singing of solidarity songs and holding banners before being dispersed by security personnel using another tear gas canister.

Our correspondent observed more soldiers with gun trucks parked nearby at the Berger roundabout.

Roadblocks are extended by security personnel to the suburbs of Abuja.

According to information obtained by Daily Trust, a team of security personnel from the Nigerian Police's Federal Capital Territory Command and Guards Brigade united to erect roadblocks at the country's capital's entrances.

Traffic jams near the Bwari, Zuba, and Nyanya axes and other entrances to the country's capital resulted from the protest.

In particular, the War College Area in Ushafa and the Dutse-Sokale area along the route were closed, leaving some people trapped. This affected the road that connects Bwari to the City Center.

According to a security source who spoke to our correspondent, it became necessary to shut a few highways outside the Federal Capital Territory in order to stop "external aggressors" from entering the country's capital.

"We are currently screening all drivers entering the City Center. This is to distinguish law-abiding citizens and true Nigerians from infiltrators. The security official clarified, "We cannot afford to allow unrest in the seat of powers."

According to another officer, intelligence showed that the demonstrators were reorganizing and may potentially rally more suburban street urchins.

In a chat with our journalist, a public servant named Isaac Babalola stated that the traffic bottleneck at the War College Camp in Ushafa compelled him to go back home.

Speaking to Daily Trust, other drivers from the Mararaba-Nyanya axis also voiced their displeasure with the incident, claiming they were not prepared for what they witnessed.

Lawyers and journalists were brutalized.

Our correspondent saw police forces smash an AFP journalist's camera, causing him to be brutalized. There was the sound of an unnamed policeman promising to deal with the reporter. Additionally, some NSCDC officials physically assaulted the News Central Television team at the Federal Ministry of Finance's entrance.

Similarly, the operatives arrested a number of protesters, including Aloy Ejimakor, one of the attorneys for the imprisoned IPOB leader.

According to Ejimakor, he and a few other demonstrators were arrested and brought to the Abuja headquarters of the Federal Capital Territory Police Command. As of the time of publication, Daily Trust was unable to confirm if he had been released.

As the Kanu demonstration grounds Abuja, businesses and workers report losses.

Due to safety concerns, several Abuja business owners were forced to close for the day. In Wuse, Banex, and Mararaba, a number of stores and marketplaces stayed closed, while those that tried to open reported low customer traffic.

Peter Ayuba, an electronics merchant at Wuse Market, stated, "Everyone was afraid of trouble, so I couldn't open my shop today." "With the tension in town, no customer will come out even if you open."

The majority of the stores at Zuma Garden's Smart Bridge Plaza along Utako were locked. Attendees complained about minimal patronage, even when just a few stores opened for business.

"Today, we hardly made any sales. There aren't as many customers as usual," a drugstore employee stated.

The protest had a negative impact on street vendors as well. Despite being warned not to go outside, Agnes Ojeh, a groundnut and banana vendor, claimed that the circumstances had an impact on her sales.

"I have kids to feed, but I was told not to go out today," she remarked. I even encountered military at checkpoints along the way, having traveled all the way from Mpape. However, because fewer people came out to buy, I didn't sell as much as I usually do," he remarked.

According to a barber who went by Black Governor, Wuse Market was nearly empty as so many Igbo vendors would not open their stores.

He claimed that there was little business in the market and that he left at about six o'clock in the evening. "Earlier, Utako Market was also closed, but it reopened once security personnel brought the area under control."

He claimed that after some local adolescents attacked demonstrators, police in Zone 6 made arrests in an effort to restore order.

According to a Utako police officer who talked to Daily Trust under anonymity, the arrests were made and the criminals were brought to the Guzape SARS office.

Many offices ran skeletal services in important commercial avenues like the Central Area, Jabi, and Nyanya because personnel sometimes arrived late or did not show up at all. Uche, a trader at Mararaba Market, claimed that after learning that demonstrators were moving toward the city, the majority of store owners chose to remain at home. Although several areas of Abuja had returned to routine by 3 p.m., many locals continued to describe how the protest had ruined their day.

Several traders, particularly those who deal in perishable commodities, told Daily Trust that Monday's stoppage cost them almost all of their daily revenue.

The circumstances in Umuahia

Nnamdi Kanu is from Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, where the protest also caused commercial disruptions as locals locked up their stores and left the streets and marketplaces.

At various locations, protesters could be seen dancing, singing, and pleading with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to free Kanu.

Movement was difficult because there were no cars on the route, according to Daily Trust. Public and private schools were also under lock and key, while businesses, banks, gas stations, supermarkets, the well-known Isigate market, and the lumber market were all closed.

Residents of Nnamdi Kanu's village, Afaraukwu community, were observed singing in protest. A commenter identifying himself as Chidi asked why Kanu was being held in the DSS cell for so long.

The presidency should penalize Kanu's attorney

In response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, demanded that Ejimakor face disciplinary action.

After the lawyer took part in a demonstration in Abuja calling for his client's release, Onanuga accused him of professional misconduct.

In a tweet on his official X Twitter, the presidential assistant criticized Ejimakor's behavior, calling it "shambolic" and unprofessional.

"I'm curious as to why Mr. Ejimakor chose to participate in this chaotic demonstration," Onanuga wrote.

He should understand the sub judice concept as a lawyer, especially in light of the current treason case in court.

"Now that the prosecution has finished its case, Mr. Ejimakor and the other attorneys must present a compelling defense for Kanu."

In order to influence court proceedings, the presidential assistant accused Ejimakor of eschewing his professional duties in favor of what he called "extra-legal tactics."

Onanuga claimed that instead of concentrating on building a compelling case, Mr. Ejimakor has joined a career anarchist and used other illegal means to sway the outcome.

He also questioned the attorney's adherence to professional ethics and called on the appropriate legal authorities to step in.

"Ejimakor's behavior calls into doubt his adherence to the legal profession's ethics. Legal authorities ought to think about suitable penalties for the bearded lawyer's unethical behavior," he continued. 

The way ahead

Concerns about the situation have been voiced by certain analysts.  lecturer Okoh Akubo (SAN), a legal lecturer, called the Kanu case concerning.

According to Prof. Akubo, the worry over how Kanu might be prevented from engaging in any more "toxic self-determination talk(s) and whether his guarantors will not be in trouble" ought to serve as justification for keeping him in custody.

"I am aware that charges against him have been dropped by the courts on multiple occasions, but the government has retained him and brought new charges against him, which is why he is still in court," he stated.

It is true that people who violate the law have to go through a trial, be found guilty, and then given a sentence. The concern is that the trial—or lack thereof—has lasted too long and that the Grundnorm, the country's constitution, does not justify his continuing incarceration. No trial in a democracy can continue ad infinitum”, he said.

Professor Eno Cyprain Kanu, the president and director-general of the Institute of Law Research & Development of the United Nations (ILAWDUN), which is headquartered in Washington, DC, USA, should be freed immediately and without conditions. He also stated that if the government is concerned about his inflammatory remarks, a gag order could be issued and a motion to that effect could be submitted to the court.

But since he has the right to free speech, stopping him from doing so may violate both the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights law, he stated.

Emmanuel Onwubiko, the national coordinator of the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), said in a statement that Kanu's ongoing arrest has turned into a form of collective punishment and criticized the way the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow demonstration was handled as being undemocratic.

"A government cannot be democratic if it suppresses its citizens. “This war on citizens must end, and Nigerian leaders must begin to govern with conscience,” he stated.

Ezichi Chukwu, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Publicity Secretary, told Daily Trust yesterday that the national organization's pertinent organs have not expressed any opinion on the ongoing demonstration against Kanu's release.

According to a security expert, a resolution requires the involvement of both North and South stakeholders

Dr. Kabiru Adamu, a security analyst, called Kanu's 10-year trial "a national disaster" and an indication that the federal government's chosen legal strategy hasn't yet succeeded.

As the two regions most impacted by the loss of life, government property, and companies linked to Kanu's acts, he suggested involving stakeholders from both the North and the South East.

The nature of our laws is one of the numerous reasons for his ongoing trial, as the offense for which Nnamdi Kanu is being tried does not appear to have been adequately codified in our laws. To put it another way, there are still laws that are out of date in our country, and the National Assembly, which is in charge of enacting laws, has not done a good job of looking at these outdated laws, reviewing them, and, if feasible, introducing new ones.

The trial is being postponed because Kanu is being tried under the law for crimes that he clearly did not conduct and the government and law enforcement failed to collect sufficient evidence to persuade a competent court of jurisdiction.

"What is the government's exit strategy?" is the second question. In a high-profile case like this, you cannot keep trying someone, making fun of your procedures, and elevating them to the status of a martyr or hero.

"I think the most likely outcome would be a political solution, where you bring him and all other pertinent stakeholders together to ask what kind of commitments you would put on the table to allow for an amicable political resolution that would appease everyone," says the third person.

"This is not someone you would wish away because Nnamdi Kanu's actions have undoubtedly been linked to the deaths of hundreds of Nigerians; undoubtedly, these actions have devastated government institutions and police formations, among other difficulties.

Therefore, I believe that the government would require an exit strategy that would be visible not only to his supporters in the South East but also to other regions of the country, particularly the North, where assets and properties belonging to businessmen who moved there to sell their goods have been destroyed.

Since they are unlikely to punish him under the current laws, he continued, "the government needs that sort of exit strategy that would appeal to all stakeholders."

On October 23, Kanu will open defense

Kanu's trial is scheduled to resume on Thursday, October 23, after the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that Kanu is able to stand trial and that his medical issues do not pose a threat to his life.

After rejecting Kanu's no case submission on June 19, Justice James Omotosho set the date for Kanu and his defense team to begin their defense against the terrorism accusations against him.

In June, Department of State Services (DSS) witnesses stated that during the 2020 #EndSARSProtests, Kanu's instigating broadcasts and the establishment of the Eastern Security Network (ESN) caused the destruction of lives and property in many regions of the nation.

In June 2021, Kanu was sent back to Kenya to face further charges.