The Nigeria Police Force has defended its decision to use tear gas to disperse protesters in Abuja demanding the release of detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The demonstration spread across several parts of the Federal Capital Territory, including the Three Arms Zone, Maitama, and Jabi, before being forcefully halted by police operatives.
Protesters were reportedly marching toward the Three Arms Zone — home to the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly, and the Court of Appeal — when officers fired tear gas canisters.
Amnesty International Nigeria condemned the response, calling it “an attempt to suppress peaceful protests.”
The rights group warned that acts undermining freedom of assembly were illegal under the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights treaties such as the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Police Justify Their Actions
Reacting to the criticism, Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said officers acted within the law.
“Protesters attempted to approach Aso Villa in clear contravention of a court order restricting demonstrations in that zone,” he wrote on X. “We did not block roads; we cleared them after protesters had blocked them.”
He cited existing legal restrictions on protests near key national institutions, noting that the force merely enforced judicial directives.
Kanu, detained since June 2021 by the Department of State Services, continues to face terrorism-related charges at the Federal High Court, Abuja.
Igbo Women, Groups Condemn Crackdown
Meanwhile, the Igbo Women Assembly (IWA) criticised the arrests made during the protest, describing them as “impunity taken too far.”
The group has demanded the immediate release of Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, his lawyer, Chief Aloy Ejimakor, and others detained during the demonstration.
National President, Lolo Nneka Chimezie, who said she was among those tear-gassed, accused the government of using security agencies to silence dissent.
“I was at the rally. I was directly teargassed. Live rounds were also fired. That’s very wrong,” she said.
Chimezie warned the Tinubu administration against “pushing Nigerians to the wall,” and advised it to engage with protesters rather than suppress them.
“Peaceful protest is a constitutional right. The APC government benefited from protests before 2015; it must not now become intolerant of them,” she added.
Protests Ripple Across Enugu
In Enugu, the Ohanaeze Youth Council (OYC) declared a total shutdown in solidarity with the Abuja protesters.
The move paralysed economic activity as markets, filling stations, and roads remained closed throughout Monday.
The OYC described the action as “a moral and patriotic duty,” insisting it was a peaceful demonstration of Igbo unity and demand for justice.
Traders and transport operators lamented the economic impact, though many voiced support for Kanu’s release. “It’s better to lose a day’s business than remain silent about injustice,” one trader said.
Counter-protesters Push Back
However, a separate group of demonstrators held a counter-protest near Labour House, Abuja, carrying banners that read “No Pressure to the Rule of Law.”
The group urged Nigerians to allow the courts to conclude Kanu’s trial without political interference. Security operatives maintained a calm perimeter, and the rally ended peacefully.
The day’s events underscored Nigeria’s deepening crisis over nationhood and Kanu’s prolonged detention — in one of Nigeria’s most famous, or perhaps only, terrorism trial, notwithstanding its decade-long battle against terrorism and banditry.
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