By our reporter
The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reportedly taken legal steps to prevent a planned nationwide protest scheduled for October 20, 2025, aimed at demanding the immediate release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
According to sources familiar with the development, the Federal Government is seeking a court injunction to halt the planned demonstration, which is being championed by human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore. The protest, tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, has gained momentum both online and offline, with organisers vowing to march to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Though official court documents are yet to surface in the public domain, legal observers and civil society organisations have raised concerns that the move may signal a renewed crackdown on freedom of assembly and expression.
In response to the planned protest, senior government officials have accused Sowore and other organisers of politicising a sensitive legal matter that is still before the courts. Speaking earlier this week, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, described the protest initiative as an act of anarchist desperation, warning that the government would not tolerate actions capable of disrupting public peace.
However, Sowore has dismissed such criticisms, insisting that the protest is a peaceful demand for justice and the rule of law. He maintains that Nnamdi Kanu’s prolonged detention, despite multiple court orders for his release, amounts to a blatant disregard for Nigeria’s judicial system.
“What we’re demanding is simple: obey court orders and release Nnamdi Kanu. If a court of competent jurisdiction says he should be free, then no government has the right to keep him detained,” Sowore said in a recent video statement.
Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his controversial extradition from Kenya in 2021. Despite several rulings in his favor, including one by the Court of Appeal in 2022, the government has refused to release him, citing national security concerns.
The planned October 20 protest comes amid increasing political tension in the country, with several opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, recently backing calls for Kanu’s release.
Security agencies have not yet issued an official statement regarding the protest, but activists fear that attempts to obtain a court order may signal plans for preemptive arrests or heavy-handed tactics to suppress dissent.
As the date draws near, civil society groups, international observers, and human rights organisations will be closely watching how the government handles the protest and whether it upholds the constitutional rights of citizens to peaceful assembly and expression.
