By Charles Pemu 
A major confrontation is anticipated in the Federal Capital Territory today as organisers of the nationwide #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest remain defiant, vowing to march on the Presidential Villa despite an interim court injunction explicitly prohibiting demonstrations near sensitive government institutions.
The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Mohammed Umar, had on Friday granted an ex parte application filed by the Nigeria Police Force, restraining the organisers, led by activist and former Presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, from protesting around locations like the Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly Complex, the Force Headquarters, and Eagle Square. The order is set to remain in effect pending the hearing of the substantive motion scheduled for today.
However, the Director of Mobilisation for the Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola, affirmed that the peaceful convergence and march would proceed as originally planned in Abuja and simultaneously across the South-Eastern states. Adenola strongly insisted that nothing would discourage the protesters, stating, “Marching peacefully anywhere in the country is our constitutionally guaranteed right. Nothing can derogate it.” He added that the protest was a necessary fight against what he termed “inhumane, illegal and strongman act scripted to promote the erosion of our rights.”
Counsel to the organisers, Maxwell Opara, acknowledged reports of the restraining suit but maintained that no formal court order had been served on the group, thereby clearing the path for the demonstration. He argued that marching to the seat of power was essential to allow citizens to communicate their grievances directly with the government, maintaining that the Presidential Villa should be a symbolic place for free expression.
The planned rally, coinciding with the fifth anniversary of the October 2020 #EndSARS protest, has attracted significant political endorsements, amplifying the Federal Government’s apprehension. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, have both publicly backed the demonstration, urging the government to embrace dialogue for the immediate and unconditional release of the IPOB leader. Obi reiterated his long-held view that Kanu’s arrest was unnecessary and that negotiation remains the sustainable path to resolving separatist agitations.
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the now-proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), is currently detained on charges including terrorism and treason, stemming from his alleged advocacy for Biafra’s independence through controversial rhetoric. He was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 after having fled the country in 2017 while on bail. While his health condition had been a point of contention, a recent medical evaluation declared him fit for trial.
As tension mounts, security agencies are deploying personnel and issuing stern warnings. The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, FCT Command, through Commandant Olusola Odumosu, cautioned protesters against vandalising public or private property, though he instructed officers to exercise restraint and maintain a non-kinetic approach to crowd management. In a parallel move, the Nigerian Correctional Service declared all correctional centres across the country as “Red Zones” ahead of the march, warning the public to steer clear of the restricted areas to prevent any untoward incidents or security breaches.
Meanwhile, protest organiser Sowore disclosed that an extensive support system had been activated, with over 115 lawyers, medical personnel, and journalists mobilised nationwide to support the demonstrators. Within Kanu’s legal team, a division emerged, with Senior Counsel Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) focusing solely on the judicial process, while Aloy Ejimakor, another member of the team, fully endorsed and confirmed his intention to participate in the protest as a Nigerian citizen exercising his constitutional right.