Emmanuel Kanu, younger brother of the detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu, and his lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, were arrested by operatives of the Nigeria Police Force during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja on Monday.
Human rights activist and convener of the protest, Omoyele Sowore, disclosed the arrests on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, alleging that police deployed live ammunition and excessive force against demonstrators calling for Kanu’s release.
“The @PoliceNG team deployed to brutalize #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother and his lawyer, @AloyEjimakor, as well as innocent bystanders. They were beaten and taken to the FCT Command. The police must release them immediately,” Sowore wrote.
Earlier in the day, security operatives fired multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse the protesters near the Central Business District, prompting panic among commuters and causing severe traffic disruptions.
Public outcry followed as major roads leading into Abuja’s city centre were blocked, resulting in heavy gridlock in the morning hours.
The Nigeria Police Force had previously warned that protests in restricted areas of the capital would not be tolerated.
CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, Force Public Relations Officer, reminded the public that a Federal High Court order restrains groups from staging demonstrations within or around key government buildings, including the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
