In Abuja, Nigeria, police employed tear gas to disband a gathering of protesters advocating for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, a separatist leader facing terrorism charges. The protest was organized by Omoyele Sowore, an activist and publisher of the Sahara Reporters news outlet, who expressed demands that Kanu be freed immediately. Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021 and possesses British nationality, leads the Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob), a group seeking independence for the Biafran region in southeastern Nigeria.
The protests began early at around 07:00, and eyewitnesses reported multiple rounds of tear gas used by the police to scatter attendees. In addition to crowd control measures, police also blocked major roads, contributing to significant traffic disruptions throughout the capital. Reports indicated that several individuals, including Kanu’s family members and legal representatives, were arrested, although law enforcement has not yet provided any official comment regarding the arrests.
Kanu’s affiliation with Ipob, which the Nigerian government labeled a terrorist organization in 2017, complicates the situation. The group’s armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, has been linked to violent incidents in recent years. Kanu’s legal history includes an initial arrest in 2015 on terrorism charges, a subsequent flight from bail in 2017, and his re-arrest announced by the Nigerian government in 2021, reportedly aided by actions in Kenya.
In 2022, a court ruling ordered the drop of charges against Kanu, but this decision was reversed by the Supreme Court in 2023. His legal team is set to present their defense in court on Thursday, following a recent ruling that dismissed their assertion of a lack of a case against him.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c867342lde9o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss