Tension gripped Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, on Monday morning as police fired tear gas canisters to disperse protesters demanding the release of detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu.
The protesters, led by activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, had gathered early around 7 a.m. to call for Kanu’s immediate freedom. Kanu, who leads the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) — an outlawed separatist movement — has been in detention since 2021, facing terrorism charges he has consistently denied.
Eyewitnesses told afronewswire.com that police officers fired several rounds of tear gas as demonstrators began assembling, sending crowds scattering in panic. Major roads in Abuja were also blocked off, creating a wave of gridlock and confusion across parts of the city.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sowore alleged that security operatives arrested several individuals, including members of Kanu’s family and legal team. The Nigerian Police have not yet issued an official statement regarding the reported arrests
A Long Road of Detention and Dispute
Nnamdi Kanu, who also holds British citizenship, remains a deeply polarizing figure in Nigeria’s political landscape. To his supporters, he is a freedom fighter; to the state, a security threat.
His group, IPOB, has long campaigned for the independence of a breakaway state known as Biafra in southeastern Nigeria — a movement that echoes the secessionist conflict of the late 1960s that claimed over a million lives.
Kanu’s troubles with the government date back to 2015, when he was first arrested on terrorism charges. He later fled the country in 2017 after a military raid on his home, leading to his bail being revoked in 2019. In 2021, authorities announced his re-arrest — a move his lawyers say followed his extraordinary rendition from Kenya, though Kenyan officials have denied involvement.
In 2022, the Court of Appeal ruled in Kanu’s favor, ordering that all charges be dropped. But that reprieve was short-lived — the Supreme Court overturned the decision in 2023, reinstating his prosecution.
A Divisive Figure, an Unfinished Battle
Despite the years of legal battles and detentions, Kanu remains a cult hero in southeastern Nigeria, where his message of self-determination still resonates with thousands.
However, his movement’s armed wing, the Eastern Security Network (ESN), has been accused of killings and violent attacks, complicating public perception and fueling the government’s hardline stance.
As his legal team prepares to begin his defense on Thursday, the streets of Abuja are once again on edge — a reminder that Nnamdi Kanu’s fight for freedom continues to stir deep emotions, political divisions, and a sense of unfinished history in Africa’s most populous nation.
