Police Crack Down on #FreeNnamdiKanu Protest in Nigeria

The Nigerian police is reported to be using maximum force in an attempt to dispersed peaceful demonstrators calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in yet another display of heavy-handed policing.

The protest, kicked up this morning, began peacefully as activists marched along a designated route to demand Kanu’s unconditional release. However, eyewitnesses report that security forces had already been deployed at key locations, leading to tense confrontations shortly after the demonstration began.

Lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lead counsel representing Kanu, was reportedly arrested alongside several protesters. Police later fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, with fears mounting that live ammunition could be used if tensions escalated further.

Human rights observers have condemned the use of excessive force against unarmed civilians, describing it as part of a wider pattern of police brutality that has marred Nigeria’s democratic record.

Nnamdi Kanu was forcibly taken from Kenya in 2021 in what has been widely described as an extraordinary rendition, a move that violated international law. Since then, Nigerian courts have repeatedly ordered his release, rulings the government has refused to obey. Kanu remains in detention on charges widely viewed as politically motivated.

As calls for his freedom grow louder, the government’s continued defiance of court orders and violent suppression of peaceful protests raise renewed questions about Nigeria’s commitment to the rule of law and civil rights.

It will be recalled that just last week, President Bola Tinubu granted amnesty to several convicted criminals, leading to their release from various correctional facilities across the country.

In recent years, the Nigerian government has also pardoned and reintegrated internationally renown terrorists and armed militia members into national programs, including, in some cases, the security services.

This pattern has sparked widespread criticism from both local and international observers, who argue that such actions reflect a troubling complacency among the political elite and undermine Nigeria’s fight against insecurity.

Critics warn that extending leniency to violent offenders while ignoring justice for victims raises serious concerns about the government’s commitment to national security, rule of law, and accountability.