Chaos erupted in Abuja on Monday as police clashed with protesters demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
Kanu, who faces terrorism charges, leads a movement seeking an independent Biafran state for Nigeria’s Igbo people in the southeast.
The protest, part of the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow campaign, called on authorities to obey a 2022 Court of Appeal ruling that discharged Kanu. The decision was later overturned by the Supreme Court, fuelling anger and renewed demonstrations.
Eyewitnesses said police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who had gathered peacefully in Abuja’s Utako district, injuring several, including journalists.
Two AFP journalists — American reporter Nick Roll and Nigerian videographer John Okunyomih — were arrested while filming the unrest. Their equipment was damaged, and their phones were confiscated before their release two hours later.
Aloy Ejimakor, one of Kanu’s lawyers, was also injured. Other demonstrators described being beaten as police dispersed the crowd with force.
“I was going to work when police began firing tear gas,” said Stephen Okon, one of the injured. “I was beaten mercilessly, and my son was also hurt.”
Police spokesperson Ben Hundeyin said officers intervened after protesters allegedly tried to march toward key government institutions, including the Aso Villa and National Assembly.
“We did not block the road but cleared it for other Nigerians to move freely,” Hundeyin told Anadolu Agency.
He did not comment on reports of police assaulting journalists and civilians.
The confrontation underscores Nigeria’s deepening tension over Kanu’s detention, a case that continues to stir fierce debate over justice, identity, and dissent in Africa’s most populous nation.