Motorists were stranded across parts of Abuja today as the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest caused heavy gridlock and road closures.
The protest, led by activist Omoyele Sowore, began early yesterday at the front of Transcorp Hilton Abuja, with demonstrators demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, reports Channels TV.
Our correspondent on the ground confirmed that several major routes were inaccessible, including Shehu Shagari Way and adjoining roads leading to the city centre.
Videos showed long traffic build-ups around Nyanya and Karu, as motorists struggled to navigate blocked roads.
Meanwhile, security operatives arrived at protest locations early, firing tear gas and live rounds to disperse the crowd. There was a strong deployment at key points such as Eagle Square, Unity Fountain, and the Three Arms Zone.
Access to the Federal Secretariat, Abuja and the Three Arms Zone was barricaded, while Unity Fountain, the take-off point of the march, was sealed off. Motorists and pedestrians were denied entry, and heavily armed personnel patrolled the area.
Elsewhere in the city, a combined team of soldiers and police officers fired tear gas at a crowd near the Nigeria Union of Journalists secretariat in Utako. Witnesses said the crowd was not part of the protest but dispersed quickly when security operatives moved in.
Earlier, Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court of Nigeria had issued an interim injunction restricting demonstrations around Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
Police had earlier warned that any violation would lead to arrests and said digital evidence would be used to track incitement on social media.
Sowore dismissed claims of a valid injunction, questioning why no order was issued against protesters opposing Kanu’s release. He also revealed that over 100 lawyers were prepared to challenge the injunction once formally served.
Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was first arrested in 2015 on treason charges and later released on bail. He fled during trial but was re-arrested in Kenya in 2021 and extradited to Nigeria under controversial circumstances. He currently faces terrorism charges.
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