Court Schedules October 29 Hearing On Police Case Against Sowore Over #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest Disruptions In Abuja

 

The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has set October 29 for the continuation of hearing in the case filed by the Nigeria Police Force against Omoyele Sowore and other organizers of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest. The hearing, originally slated for October 20, was stalled as a result of the very protest that the police are challenging, which took place at the court premises and led to widespread disruption of judicial activities across the complex.

Court operations were reportedly paralyzed that day, as hundreds of demonstrators gathered demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). The chaotic situation forced court officials, lawyers, and visitors to vacate the area as tension heightened between protesters and security operatives.

Justice Mohammed Umar, who presided over the matter, had earlier issued an interim order restraining Sowore and others from organizing or participating in any protest demanding Kanu’s release, particularly within what the court described as sensitive areas in the Federal Capital Territory. The restricted zones included the Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way. The order remains in effect pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion.

According to the court’s earlier schedule, Sowore and the other respondents were expected to appear on October 20 to show cause why the interim order should not be vacated. However, the hearing could not proceed as protesters gathered around the premises that morning, chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards condemning Kanu’s continued detention by the Department of State Services (DSS). The police swiftly moved in to disperse the crowd, but not before significant disruption had occurred.

Justice Umar consequently adjourned the matter to October 29 after it became clear that the court could not safely continue its proceedings under the tense atmosphere. The judge emphasized the need for both parties to maintain decorum and allow the judicial process to take its course without interference or intimidation.

The police, through their counsel, Wisdom Madaki, filed the suit on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The ex parte motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025, listed Sowore, Sahara Reporters Limited, and Sahara Reporters’ Media Foundation as the first, second, and third respondents. The Take It Back (TIB) Movement for the Transformation of Nigeria was also joined as the fourth respondent, while “unknown persons” described as acting on similar motives were listed as fifth respondents.

In an affidavit supporting the ex parte motion, Bassey Ibithan, a police officer attached to the Directorate of Legal Services at Force Headquarters, Abuja, stated that intelligence suggested the planned protest could pose a threat to national security. He argued that the nature of the campaign and its proximity to critical government installations could lead to the breakdown of law and order if not restrained.

The affidavit further claimed that the movement’s mobilization strategy indicated the possibility of infiltration by violent elements seeking to exploit the demonstration to provoke confrontation with law enforcement agencies. The police therefore prayed the court to maintain the restraining order until the respondents demonstrate that the planned protest would not compromise public peace.

Sowore, a well-known human rights activist, publisher of Sahara Reporters, and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019 and 2023, has maintained that the demonstration was intended to be peaceful. He insisted that the right to protest remains a constitutional freedom that cannot be suspended under any guise, especially when it concerns the demand for justice and fair treatment of citizens.

According to sources close to the activist, the rally on October 20 was part of a nationwide awareness campaign to call attention to what organizers described as the “unjust and prolonged detention” of Nnamdi Kanu despite multiple court rulings ordering his release. The event, however, turned contentious after security forces reportedly arrested several participants, including Kanu’s special counsel, Aloy Ejimakor.

Ejimakor was later detained and is now scheduled to appear before a Kuje Magistrate Court on October 24. His arrest has drawn criticism from legal practitioners and civil rights groups who argue that it represents a wider attempt to silence those advocating for Kanu’s release.

The #FreeNnamdiKanuNow movement has gained significant traction on social media and among pro-democracy activists, who accuse the government of weaponizing court processes to suppress dissent. Meanwhile, the police have continued to insist that their actions are guided by the need to protect national security and prevent disruptions to public institutions.

Legal analysts observing the case believe the October 29 hearing will test the delicate balance between the citizens’ right to peaceful assembly and the government’s obligation to maintain public order. The outcome could also set a precedent for how similar protests are handled in the future, especially in politically sensitive contexts.

As both sides prepare their arguments, all eyes will be on the Federal High Court in Abuja next week to determine whether Sowore and his co-organizers can lawfully continue their advocacy or whether the police’s concerns over security will prevail. The case has once again brought to the forefront the ongoing tension between civic activism and state authority in Nigeria’s evolving democratic space.