Nigerian police forces, deployed to disperse the ongoing #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, have arrested Nnamdi Kanu's brother, his lead counsel Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, and several innocent bystanders amid reports of beatings and tear gas deployment, according to activist Omoyele Sowore.
The detentions occurred during a chaotic morning rally in Abuja demanding the unconditional release of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, escalating tensions in the Federal Capital Territory.
Sowore, the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement and former presidential candidate, detailed the incident on social media, accusing the police of brutality. "The @PoliceNG team deployed to brutalize #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, and his lawyer, @AloyEjimakor, as well as innocent bystanders.
"They were beaten and taken to the FCT command. The police must release them immediately!" Sowore posted, calling for urgent intervention.
The arrests follow a forceful dispersal earlier in the day, where joint security operatives fired tear gas and live rounds near the Transcorp Hilton Hotel and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) headquarters in Maitama, scattering demonstrators who had gathered since dawn.
Eyewitnesses reported protesters, including Ejimakor, fleeing amid gunfire and gas canisters, with videos circulating online showing chaos and injuries.
Ejimakor himself had earlier raised the alarm on X, stating, "I’m in front of Transcorp Hilton with a mammoth crowd... the police just exploded teargas. My eyes and throat hurt. They’re scattering everywhere."
Nnamdi Kanu, arrested in June 2021 upon his return from exile and held by the Department of State Services (DSS), faces charges of treasonable felony despite appellate court rulings ordering his release on procedural grounds, which the federal government has challenged.
The #FreeNnamdiKanuNow march, organized by Sowore, aimed to pressure President Bola Tinubu's administration to comply with judicial directives and end what supporters call "selective justice" against Igbos.
Despite a Federal High Court ruling last week rejecting the Nigeria Police Force's bid to halt the protest, authorities proceeded with a heavy-handed response, including preemptive tear gas firings at commuters in the Central Business District.
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