Proceedings at the Federal High Court in Abuja were on Monday disrupted and largely paralysed as the scheduled hearing in the police suit against activist Omoyele Sowore and other conveners of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest failed to take place.
The disruption came amid tight security and restricted movement across key parts of the capital, following heightened tension over the planned protest demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Despite a handful of court workers, lawyers, and security guards seen within the premises, no judges were sighted, effectively halting judicial activities.
Outside the courthouse, the atmosphere was tense. Heavily armed security personnel, backed by water cannon trucks, were stationed across strategic intersections — including Gana Street, Shehu Shagari Way by NICON Hilton Hotel, the NITEL Junction in Wuse 2, Federal Secretariat, the National Assembly Junction, and the Asokoro District leading to the Presidential Villa.
Security operatives restricted vehicular movement, turning back motorists and pedestrians from entering designated “no-go” zones. In some areas, police were seen firing tear gas to disperse small gatherings of onlookers and protesters.
The case, filed by the Nigeria Police Force on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), had been slated for hearing before Justice Mohammed Umar, who last Friday ordered Sowore and others to appear and show cause why the interim order restraining them from protesting near sensitive government locations should not be sustained.
Justice Umar’s ex-parte order, granted on Friday, barred Sowore and other respondents from holding demonstrations near the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
In addition, the judge ordered an abridgement of time for the respondents to respond to the motion and fixed Monday, October 20, 2025, for the continuation of the hearing.
The ex-parte motion, supported by an affidavit sworn to by Bassey Ibithan, a police officer attached to the Directorate of Legal Services, Force Headquarters, claimed the planned protest could threaten national security if not restrained.
According to the police, the move to stop the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest was necessary to prevent potential unrest in Abuja and ensure public safety.
Sowore, a prominent activist and former presidential candidate, had announced plans to lead a peaceful demonstration calling for the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, who remains in detention facing terrorism-related charges.
With Monday’s session stalled, it remains unclear when the court will reconvene to take up the matter.
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