According to a report by Channels Television on Monday, October 20, 2025, Omoyele Sowore has accused Nigerian security operatives of launching an unprovoked attack on peaceful protesters during a demonstration in Abuja demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The protest, which took place on Monday near the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, quickly turned tense after security forces arrived in large numbers.
Sowore, who led the rally, alleged that officers from the police, army, and civil defence corps fired tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the demonstrators.
Although live rounds were discharged, no injuries were confirmed among the protesters.
Sowore revealed that several individuals were arrested during the protest, including Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother and one of his lawyers.
“Eventually, they did arrest some people. I heard Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother was arrested and beaten, and his lawyer was also arrested and beaten. They’ve all been taken to the FCT Command,” Sowore said.
According to Sowore, the protest had begun peacefully, with demonstrators gathering in accordance with constitutional rights.
The demonstration came despite an interim court order restricting protests around key government buildings, including the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Eagle Square, and other sensitive zones.
Security forces had earlier issued warnings that any breach of the court order would result in arrests, and digital surveillance would be used to monitor those inciting protest activity online.
In preparation for the demonstration, security operatives had stationed personnel across strategic locations in the city.
Unity Fountain, the protest’s initial rally point, was sealed off, and nearby roads including those leading to the Federal Secretariat and the Three Arms Zone were barricaded.
Motorists and pedestrians were denied access, causing disruptions to movement in the area.
In a separate incident, a combined team of police and military officers fired tear gas at a crowd near the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat in the Utako area of the city.
Eyewitnesses reported that the group appeared unrelated to the protest and dispersed quickly as security forces advanced.
The protest coincided with the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS movement, which began in 2020 as a call for police reform and justice for victims of brutality.
Participants in Monday’s demonstration used the opportunity to draw attention to Kanu’s prolonged detention and ongoing trial.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on treason-related charges.
After fleeing the country while on bail, he was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and brought back to Nigeria under controversial circumstances.
His legal team continues to press for his transfer to a medical facility due to concerns over his health, while political leaders and advocacy groups from the Southeast region have renewed calls for his release. See, More, Here>>>
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