The United States Embassy in Abuja has issued a security alert to American citizens in Nigeria ahead of the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025, in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement released on its official website Friday, the Embassy warned that the protest could spark traffic disruptions, roadblocks, and potential clashes between demonstrators and security forces.
“The U.S. Embassy in Abuja informs U.S. citizens that the ‘Free Nnamdi Kanu Now’ protest has called for peaceful demonstrations on Monday, October 20th, 2025, in Abuja,” the statement read. “There may be roadblocks, traffic congestion, and confrontations between police and protestors that could turn violent around Eagle Square and the Central Business District.
The Embassy advises all U.S. citizens to avoid these areas and to severely limit all movement throughout the city on Monday.”
The embassy also advised parents to keep children home from school and urged domestic staff commuting from outside Abuja not to report to work on that day.
“The Embassy recommends that children in Abuja stay home from school and that domestic staff who travel from outside the city also remain home,” it added, while calling on Americans to exercise heightened security precautions throughout the period.
The protest, announced by activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore via his X (formerly Twitter) handle on October 9, is billed to take place near the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
Sowore described the demonstration as a “historic and peaceful” march aimed at demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been in detention since June 2021 after his controversial extradition from Kenya.
Kanu currently faces terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a case that has sparked international attention and renewed calls for his release.
The U.S. Embassy’s alert underscores rising security concerns ahead of Monday’s planned protest, with authorities expected to heighten surveillance and deploy additional security personnel around major government installations and key routes in the capital.
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