Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has vowed to challenge a Federal High Court order that bars him and other organizers from staging the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.
The protest, scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025, aims to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The court’s interim injunction, issued on Friday, restricts the protestors from assembling near sensitive government sites, including the Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, Court of Appeal, and Eagle Square. The order was granted after the Nigeria Police Force filed an ex parte application, citing concerns over national security and public order.
In response, Sowore has criticized the court’s decision, describing it as an infringement on citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly. He stated, “This is a clear case of double standards.
While the government allows other protests to take place without hindrance, it seeks to suppress our right to demonstrate peacefully.”
Sowore’s legal team is preparing to contest the court order in the coming days, asserting that the protest will proceed as planned, albeit at a different location if necessary. “We are committed to our cause, and we will not be silenced,” Sowore added.
The planned protest has garnered support from various civil society groups and political activists, who view Kanu’s detention as politically motivated. However, the government maintains that Kanu’s actions have posed a threat to national security, and his trial for terrorism charges is ongoing.
As the protest date approaches, all eyes are on the legal proceedings that may determine the future of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow movement and the broader discourse on citizens’ rights to protest in Nigeria.
