A nationwide protest, tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, organized by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025, to demand the immediate and unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has faced significant resistance and a series of countermeasures from the Nigerian government and police authorities. Kanu has been held in the custody of Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) since his controversial re-arrest in 2021, despite multiple court rulings ordering his freedom.

Initially, the Nigeria Police Force resorted to what Sowore described as “panic-driven measures” after failing to obtain a legitimate court order to halt the protest. In Ondo State, police authorities reportedly confined officers sympathetic to the protest to their barracks, a move that exposed “deep unease within the system,” according to Sowore. This directive, titled “Order and Directives Confinement to Barrack,” instructed all officers to be confined to barracks from 1800hrs until further notice, emphasizing strict compliance and adequate security coverage to avoid any breakdown of law and order.

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, also dispatched police lawyers to the Federal High Court in Abuja to seek an ex parte motion to legally preempt the demonstration near the Aso Rock Villa. However, Justice Umar of the Federal High Court declined to grant the motion without hearing from the opposing side, instructing the police to formally serve notice on Sowore and adjourning the case until Tuesday for a proper, contested hearing. Sowore hailed this decision as a triumph for civil rights, reaffirming that the protest would proceed as planned.

Adding to the government’s efforts to suppress the protest, Sowore recounted a tense encounter at the FCT Police Command. He alleged that the police attempted to intimidate organizers, particularly Barrister Maxwell Opara, one of Kanu’s lawyers, by issuing veiled threats. Sowore claimed the police sought someone they could intimidate and that the meeting turned heated, ending abruptly. He also noted that the police hierarchy later attempted to use legal means to stop the protest after failing to intimidate the organizers directly.

In a dramatic turn, fresh information revealed that the Federal Government secretly secured a restraining order against Sowore, the Take It Back (TIB) Movement, RevolutionNow, and “persons unknown” after the initial court refusal. This order now restricts them from holding or mobilizing any protest around key Abuja locations, including the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, National Assembly complex, Court of Appeal, and Unity Fountain. This move came amid growing public attention and mobilization for the protest.

The planned demonstration also prompted a security advisory from the United States Embassy in Abuja. The embassy warned its citizens of potential disruptions and violence, particularly around Eagle Square and the Central Business District, advising them to avoid these areas, severely limit movement throughout the city on October 20, and keep children home from school, along with domestic staff traveling from outside Abuja.

Meanwhile, the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), an Igbo Think Tank group, issued an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, urging Kanu’s release. The ADF described Kanu as a “political hostage” and asserted that his release is no longer within the powers of the Nigerian Judiciary, which has on several occasions made pronouncements in his favor. They cited international appeals, including from President William Ruto of Kenya, who protested the manner of Kanu’s rendition. The ADF questioned the differential treatment of Kanu compared to other detainees like Sunday Igboho and Ibrahim Yaqoub El-Zakzaky, criticizing the “inhumane condition” of his detention.

Furthermore, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) accused the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, of sponsoring a “fake Ohanaeze propaganda syndicate” to discredit the #FreeMaziNnamdiKanuNow movement. IPOB, through its spokesperson Emma Powerful, denounced a publication quoting a faction of Ohanaeze Ndigbo as rejecting the protest, alleging that Umahi was leveraging an impostor (Okechukwu Isiguzoro, who IPOB claims is in an Indian hospital) to destabilize the Igbo nation and undermine the struggle. IPOB reaffirmed its commitment to the peaceful protest, describing it as a “protest of conscience.”

Despite the various attempts to suppress the movement, Sowore and other organizers, including human rights groups, pro-democracy activists, and civil society organizations, have maintained their resolve. They continue to emphasize that the protest will be peaceful, lawful, and unstoppable, aiming to draw attention to Kanu’s prolonged detention, test Nigeria’s commitment to constitutional rights, and ensure justice, the rule of law, and respect for fundamental human rights. Sowore’s campaign has expanded beyond political circles to include grassroots mobilization and engagement with former leaders like Goodluck Jonathan and Atiku Abubakar, both of whom have acknowledged the urgency of the matter.