The Nigeria Police Force has denied reports that it sought a court injunction to stop the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for Monday, October 20, in Abuja.
Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, issued a clarification on Sunday, stating that the police never approached the Federal High Court to seek a ban on the demonstration.
Hundeyin stressed that Nigerians have a constitutionally guaranteed right to peaceful assembly and that the police remain committed to upholding those rights.
“It is an inalienable right of Nigerians to protest, and we did not approach the court to stop these gatherings,” Hundeyin said via his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.
“Additionally, the case was not adjourned to Tuesday, contrary to some reports. Such claims reflect a one-sided narrative and fall short of sound investigative journalism.”
Earlier, it had been reported that the Federal High Court in Abuja declined a police request to halt the protest, effectively giving the green light for it to proceed as planned.
Omoyele Sowore, the protest convener and activist, hailed the ruling as a win for civil rights.
In a post on X, he accused the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, of dispatching legal representatives to seek a court order against the protest.
“The IGP sent police lawyers to sue me in a bid to stop the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest at Aso Rock Villa,” Sowore alleged.
The protest is being organized to demand the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has remained in custody since his controversial extradition from Kenya in 2021 and faces terrorism-related charges.
