Federal High Court Clears Path for “Free Nnamdi Kanu Now” Protest Despite Police Objection

…Rejects Police’s Bid To Stop Protest 

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has declined the Nigeria Police Force’s request to restrain activist Omoyele Sowore and his supporters from holding the planned “Free Nnamdi Kanu Now” protest scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025, paving the way for the demonstration to proceed as planned.

The police, acting on the directives of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had sought an ex parte order to urgently halt the protest, citing potential threats to national security and public order. The protest is billed to take place around the Aso Rock Villa area, the symbolic heart of Nigeria’s federal authority, and is aimed at demanding the immediate release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Justice Umar, presiding over the matter, however, refused to grant the police application, ruling that the principles of fair hearing required that the respondents in this case, Sowore and the protest organisers be duly notified and given an opportunity to respond. The court consequently directed the police to serve Sowore with the necessary legal papers and adjourned the case until Tuesday, October 21, 2025, for further hearing.

The court’s decision effectively means that there is no legal restraint preventing Sowore and his supporters from going ahead with the planned demonstration. This ruling has set the stage for what many observers predict could be a highly sensitive and closely monitored event, given the protest’s proximity to the seat of power and its connection to a politically charged national issue.

The “Free Nnamdi Kanu Now” protest, which has gained traction on social media platforms under the trending hashtag #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, is expected to attract civil rights activists, pro-democracy advocates, and sympathisers of the IPOB leader. 

Organisers have described the march as a peaceful exercise of constitutional rights, aimed at drawing global attention to what they call the prolonged and unjust detention of Kanu despite multiple court rulings on his case.

With the Federal High Court’s ruling, the momentum behind the protest appears to have intensified, leaving security agencies with the challenge of managing a lawful but emotionally charged demonstration near Nigeria’s most secure precinct.

As the nation watches keenly, the outcome of Tuesday’s adjourned hearing will determine whether the protest’s legality will be further contested or if the court will uphold the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, two principles now under renewed national spotlight.