By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu, Abuja
The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the hearing of the suit filed by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, against human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and other conveners of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest to November 5, 2025.
The matter, which was listed as number 11 on Wednesday’s cause list, could not proceed due to the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, who was reported to be sitting in the Enugu division of the court.
The IGP had approached the court seeking an order to restrain Sowore and others from protesting in sensitive parts of Abuja, including the Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way, citing national security concerns.
Justice Umar had on October 17 granted an interim order in favour of the police and directed the respondents to appear on October 20 to show cause why the order should not be made permanent.
However, the court could not sit on the scheduled date due to the October 20 protest, which disrupted activities at the Federal High Court premises in Abuja.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025, listed Sowore, Sahara Reporters Ltd, Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, and the Take It Back Movement (TIB) among others as respondents.
The protesters, led by Sowore, had on October 20 gathered in Abuja to demand the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has remained in custody since June 2021 despite several court rulings ordering his release.
The peaceful rally later turned tense when security operatives fired shots into the air to disperse the crowd, leading to the arrest of Sowore, some of Kanu’s relatives, lawyers, and other demonstrators.
Although the court order specifically barred protests in certain restricted areas, eyewitnesses said the protesters were not within those zones when police swooped in.
Sowore has maintained that the campaign for Kanu’s release transcends ethnic and religious lines, describing it as a human rights struggle rather than a political movement.
The case has now been rescheduled for hearing on November 5, where both parties are expected to argue their positions.