There was tension in Abuja on Monday as police officers used teargas to disperse a crowd of protesters demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The protest, held in front of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, was part of the #MNKOct20 demonstration organised by Kanu’s supporters. They gathered peacefully to urge the Federal Government to obey several court rulings that have ordered Kanu’s release from detention.
However, the demonstration was cut short when security operatives allegedly fired teargas into the air to break up the crowd.
Aloy Ejimakor, Kanu’s lead counsel, who was among the protesters, said he suffered health effects from the teargas. He shared his experience in a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), saying the gas affected his eyes and throat.
“I’m in front of Transcorp Hilton with a mammoth crowd that gathered for #MNKOct20 and the police just exploded teargas. My eyes and throat hurt. They’re scattering everywhere,” Ejimakor wrote.
Eyewitnesses at the scene confirmed that the peaceful gathering quickly turned into confusion as people ran in different directions to escape the effects of the gas. Some protesters reportedly sustained minor injuries in the process.
The protest was one of several recent efforts by IPOB supporters and human rights activists calling for Kanu’s freedom. Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021 after he was arrested abroad and brought back to Nigeria under controversial circumstances.
He is facing charges related to terrorism, treasonable felony, and inciting violence through IPOB activities. Despite multiple court rulings granting him bail or ordering his release, the Federal Government has refused to set him free, citing national security concerns.
The use of teargas to disperse the peaceful protest has drawn criticism online, with many Nigerians questioning the government’s continued defiance of court orders and its approach to handling civil protests.
