Police Disperse Sowore, Clerics, Supporters with Tear Gas During #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow Protest in Abuja

Heavily armed police officers on Monday dispersed protesters, including activist Omoyele Sowore, clerics, and other supporters, who had gathered in Abuja for the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow demonstration.

The protesters had converged near a hotel in the Central Business District to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), currently held by the Department of State Services (DSS) on charges bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony.

Eyewitnesses said police operatives fired multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse the crowd, forcing participants to flee in different directions. The demonstration, which had been widely promoted on social media, drew the attention of security agencies after a Federal High Court granted an interim injunction last week restraining Sowore, the Take It Back Movement, and others from organizing or participating in the planned protest.

Despite the injunction, several protesters still turned up carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs before the police intervention. Some clerics and youth leaders who joined the protest accused the government of trampling on citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression.

Sowore, who was among those affected by the tear gas, condemned the police action, describing it as “a direct assault on democracy and the people’s voice.” He vowed that the campaign for Kanu’s release would continue through lawful and peaceful means.

There were no immediate reports of arrests or casualties as of press time, though police presence remained heavy around the Unity Fountain, Federal Secretariat, and adjoining areas of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Kanu, who has been in detention since June 2021, continues to face trial on multiple charges, while calls for his release have intensified across the South-East and among human rights groups nationwide.

Source: Sahara Reporters 

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