Counter-protesters on Monday staged a rally in Abuja to oppose the ongoing #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstrations calling for the unconditional release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
Around 10 a.m., PREMIUM TIMES reporters spotted the counter-protesters near the Labour House bridge in the Central Area. Many waved the Nigerian flag and played music, while others carried placards reading “No Pressure to the Rule of Law.”
The demonstrators argued against demands for Mr. Kanu’s release, insisting that the judicial process should take its course. Kanu, who has been in custody since June 2021, is facing terrorism charges linked to his separatist agitation for an independent Biafra nation.
The counter-protest followed an earlier rally led by human rights activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, calling for Kanu’s immediate release.
At the scene, reporters observed three Coaster buses that conveyed the counter-protesters, while police officers were stationed under the bridge with barricades blocking vehicular movement. The group dispersed after about 20 minutes.
Earlier, police had fired teargas to disperse #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters, including Sowore, near the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Maitama. Several protesters were reportedly arrested, among them Aloy Ejimakor, a member of Kanu’s legal team.
The demonstrations and the police barricades caused major traffic disruptions around Abuja’s Central Business District and the Three Arms Zone.
