The Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an interim injunction restraining activist Omoyele Sowore, the Take It Back Movement, the #RevolutionNow group, and other affiliated parties from holding or participating in the planned October 20 #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in the Federal Capital Territory.
Justice M.G. Umar granted the order following an ex parte application filed by the Federal Government through the Nigeria Police Force. The application argued that the proposed demonstration could disrupt public order and threaten national security within Abuja.
The court specifically barred the respondents from staging or promoting any form of protest near sensitive government locations, including the Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly Complex, and Unity Fountain.
However, Sowore criticized the ruling, claiming the injunction was granted “in chambers” after the same request had previously been denied in open court.
“After initially rejecting the motion to stop our protest in open court, the judge reportedly granted it in chambers,” Sowore wrote on his social media page, describing the development as an attempt to suppress peaceful dissent.
The planned protest — aimed at demanding the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu — had gained significant attention online. It also drew support from some political figures, including a former Vice President and former Senate President. Organizers had vowed to march to the Presidential Villa to press for Kanu’s release from Department of State Services (DSS) custody.
Kanu has been detained since June 2021 on charges bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony, a case that has drawn sustained domestic and international calls for his release.
Meanwhile, the United States Embassy in Abuja has issued a security advisory to its citizens ahead of the scheduled protest, warning of possible violence and traffic disruptions in areas such as the Central Business District, Eagle Square, and adjoining neighborhoods.
The embassy urged its nationals to avoid protest zones, limit movement, and maintain a low profile throughout Monday
#BreakingNews #Nigeria #FreeNnamdiKanu #Sowore #AbujaProtest
Source: Instablog9ja / Compiled by Jimbamedia
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