There may be a clash between security personnel and #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters today (Monday), following the organizers’ plans to march on the Presidential Villa to compel the government to release Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB.
This comes as a Federal High Court in Abuja issues an interim order prohibiting the organizers from protesting near the Villa, the National Assembly, and other critical government buildings.
Despite the legal setback, the organizers remain adamant, vowing to stick to their original plan of a peaceful gathering in the Federal Capital Territory and a march to Aso Rock Villa.
Damilare Adenola, the Take It Back Movement’s Director of Mobilization, said that the protest would take place as planned, both in Abuja and in the country’s Southeastern states.
Opposition parties support a nationwide demonstration for the immediate and unconditional release of IPOB leader Kanu, who is facing charges of terrorism, treason, and incitement.
The federal government claims Kanu advocated for Biafra’s independence through controversial means, including inflammatory rhetoric on social media and Radio Biafra.
IPOB was designated a terrorist organization in 2017. Kanu fled Nigeria while on bail in 2017, and he was arrested again in Kenya in 2021. His extradition from Kenya has created controversy and legal disputes.
Many think that Kanu’s detention is political persecution, while others see it as legitimate prosecution.
Kanu’s health has been a source of controversy, but a recent medical evaluation determined he is fit for trial.
The federal government is concerned about the march, especially as it is slated to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest, which resulted in the alleged Lekki massacre.
Speaking on if the protesters would take their grievance to the seat of power as planned, Adenola said, “Nothing shall discourage us! Marching peacefully anywhere in the country is our constitutionally guaranteed right. Nothing can derogate it,” Adenola stated.
“There is no going back on our resolve to fight this inhumane, illegal, and strongman act scripted to promote the erosion of our rights and the capture of whatever remains of our criminal justice system.”
The organizers’ plan to march on the Presidential Villa blatantly violates an interim order issued by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The ruling, given on Friday, came after the Nigeria Police Force filed an ex parte application on behalf of the Federal Government.
The verdict clearly prohibited the organizers, led by Omoyele Sowore, a human rights activist and former presidential candidate, from protesting in or near important government locations.
These locations include the Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly Complex, the Force Headquarters, the Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
The order will remain in effect until the substantive motion hearing, which is scheduled for today.
Maxwell Opara, counsel for the organizers, acknowledged news of the lawsuit but maintained on Sunday that no such order had been served on them.
He insisted that the march to the seat of government was vital to let citizens contact directly with their leaders and that even the Presidential Villa should serve as a symbol for the free expression of complaints.
He further stated that the organizers had notified the police about the event, emphasizing that his clients had yet to receive the court order.
“We have notified them, and they will come and provide security—that’s what they are expected to do. We don’t want miscreants to take advantage of the protest. I learned that they went to court, but we have not seen the order. They are asking the court to stop the protesters from going to the Villa or the National Assembly.”
In response to Sowore’s charges of an unverified police conspiracy to crack down on protestors, Adenola shifted the responsibility for maintaining calm entirely onto the security forces.
“The truth is that protesters are always coordinated in this country; it is the police who usually disrupt this peace,” he argued.
“The police are the ones who should ensure that they don’t provoke protesters. They should abide by the laws and rather protect protesters.”
He also confirmed that the organizers had deployed a “large number of lawyers on standby” to assist protesters who might be arrested or detained.
Sowore disclosed that more than 115 lawyers, medical personnel, and journalists have been mobilized to support the nationwide protests.
He said the mobilization for the protest had gained strong national traction, with activities extending to marketplaces, religious centers, and high-profile engagements, including meetings with former President Goodluck Jonathan and diaspora groups.
“Mobilization is very strong—national mobilization that took us to marketplaces, religious centers, and high-profile meetings, including with former President Goodluck Jonathan and diaspora interests, multiple state teams activated, people flying in, and many local convergences already organized.
“The legal team (115 lawyers), medics, and media teams are in place. Expect a large, disciplined turnout in Abuja and coordinated actions in multiple states and Nigerian embassies,” he said.
Meanwhile, the protest has attracted widespread popular support, as well as the endorsement of prominent opposition personalities, making it one of the most politically significant demonstrations since the current administration’s beginning.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, have officially endorsed the nationwide march, urging the Federal Government to engage in conversation over Kanu’s continuing arrest.
Obi reiterated that there was “no need for Kanu’s arrest in the first place,” emphasizing that negotiation remains the only sustainable path to resolving separatist agitations.
“I will consult, negotiate, and discuss with anybody who is agitating. I said it clearly, and I remain there,” he asserted, commending the efforts of Sowore and other advocates.
Dr. Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obedient Movement Worldwide, reiterated Obi’s commitment to fairness and equity for all, regardless of tribe.
The National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Ladipo Johnson, emphasized that peaceful protest is a legitimate democratic right that must be protected, while Tony Akeni, Interim National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, accused the Federal Government of a clear double standard.
Akeni claimed that the government has lost support by prosecuting Kanu while cooperating with bandits who have “committed far worse atrocities” in regions of the North.
Conversely, Aloy Ejimakor, a member of Kanu’s legal team, expressed his full support for the demonstration and confirmed his intention to participate.
“I endorsed the protest fully because it is the civic and constitutional right of Nigerians to protest. I am Nigerian; I will be joining the protest,” Ejimakor stated.
However, he stressed that he couldn’t say whether Kanu had approved or commented on the demonstration because he hadn’t discussed it with the IPOB leader.
As the nation prepares for the protests, security services are deploying people and issuing harsh warnings, emphasizing the importance of averting violence and infrastructure destruction.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Capital Territory Command, has issued a strong warning to demonstrators against vandalizing public and private property.
The FCT Commandant, Olusola Odumosu, stated that the corps will not accept any type of vandalism or theft “in the name of protest.”
“The corps will not condone any form of destruction, vandalism, or theft of public and private facilities in the name of protest.
“We are prepared, as always, to ensure there are no incidents of destruction of properties or threats to infrastructure and the peace in the territory,” he stated.
Odumosu confirmed the deployment of personnel from specialist units and area commands in crucial places and flashpoints throughout Abuja to safeguard people’ safety and defend critical national assets and infrastructure.
He emphasized that, while the corps values the right to peaceful protest, any attempt to hijack the march for illegal purposes will result in severe legal penalties.
Nonetheless, he directed officers to display caution and take a non-kinetic approach to crowd management.
To add to the tension, the Nigerian Penal Service labeled all penal facilities across the country as “Red Zones” ahead of the march.
NCoS Spokesperson Umar Abubakar cautioned the public that correctional facilities remain closed locations and that anyone not on official duty should stay away “to avoid any untoward incidents or security breaches.”
“In light of the planned nationwide protest scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025, calling for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the public is hereby informed that all correctional centers are declared as red zones.
“The Nigerian Correctional Service reiterates that correctional centers are restricted areas, and anyone who has no official business therein should stay away to avoid any untoward incidents or security breaches,” a statement by the spokesman read on Sunday.
