The legal team representing detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has raised an alarm over what it describes as a plot by Nigeria’s secret police, the Department of State Services (DSS), to disrupt a planned peaceful protest scheduled for October 20, 2025.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the Global Defence Consortium (GDC) — a group of lawyers advocating for Kanu’s release — accused the DSS of planning to stage violence near the Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday, October 16, when Kanu is expected to appear in court.
The statement, signed by Barrister Njoku Jude Njoku, warned that the alleged plan is meant to create chaos and provide an excuse to clamp down on peaceful demonstrators calling for Kanu’s freedom.
“We have credible intelligence that security operatives and government-hired thugs will be deployed to create chaos and attack innocent people within the vicinity of the court during proceedings,” the statement said.
“Their aim is simple but wicked: to create a false scene of insecurity so that the Nigerian government can announce a lockdown of Abuja on Monday, under the pretext of security concerns, as a way to frustrate and scuttle the peaceful #FreeMaziNnamdiKanuNow march scheduled to hold.”
The lawyers described the alleged move as a “desperate attempt to silence calls for justice” and said it shows how far Nigerian authorities are willing to go to suppress opposition and dissent.
The GDC also called on the international community to closely monitor the situation and hold the Nigerian government accountable for any unrest or violence that may occur during Kanu’s court appearance or during the protest march.
“We therefore call on the United States Government, the European Union, the African Union, and the Government of Canada to take note of this intelligence and immediately caution the Nigerian authorities to desist from this dastardly act,” the statement said.
“If anything happens tomorrow or in the coming days, the world should hold the Nigerian government and its security agencies directly responsible.”
The group emphasised that the #FreeMaziNnamdiKanuNow protest is intended to be peaceful and within the rights guaranteed under Nigeria’s constitution.
The legal team declared that no level of intimidation or provocation will stop their pursuit of justice for Kanu, who has remained in detention since he was rearrested in 2021.
“The GDC stands for peace, law, and justice. We will not be intimidated, and no amount of orchestrated violence will stop the cry for freedom and fairness for Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” the group said.
Nnamdi Kanu, leader of IPOB, was first arrested in 2015 on charges bordering on treasonable felony for his activities pushing for the secession of the South-East region from Nigeria. He was granted bail in 2017 but fled the country, only to be rearrested in Kenya in June 2021 and brought back to Nigeria under controversial circumstances.
Since then, Kanu has remained in the custody of the DSS, despite multiple court orders — including from the Court of Appeal — directing his release.
The Nigerian government has refused to release him, citing national security concerns. His continued detention has drawn widespread criticism from civil rights groups, legal experts, and international organisations.
The IPOB leader’s next court date is October 16, when his lawyers are expected to argue for his release and compliance with earlier court rulings.
Tension has been rising in Abuja and other parts of the South-East ahead of the planned October 20 protest march, organised by activists, IPOB supporters, and civil society groups demanding Kanu’s release.
Security agencies have yet to respond to the GDC’s claims, but there are growing fears that any violence near the court on Thursday could be used as justification to ban or postpone the protest.
