Omoyele Sowore Condemns Court Order Against #FreeNnamdiKanu Protest: “The Hypocrisy Is Glaring

Publisher and human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore has reacted to a recent court order banning the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest scheduled to take place in Abuja on Monday, October 1.

In a post made in X on Saturday, Sowore warned that efforts made by the Nigeria Police and the Federal Government towards preventing the protest from happening would be futile.

According to the publisher, the protest would take place on Monday as planned.

Recall that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja had issued an order mandating organisers of the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest to desist from converging in certain parts of Nigeria’s capital city.

The court order was issued on Friday, October 17 by Justice M.G. Umar following a suit filed by the Nigerian government against Sowore and four others.

Umar in the ruling barred Sowore and members of his group from carrying out protests around Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly Complex, Force Headquarters, the Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.

In addition to the court’s decision, the Nigeria Police warned demonstrators against converging around the village and other similar locations.

However, reacting to these orders, Sowore questioned the Police’s position on the constitutional right to freedom of assembly and protest by citizens.

“Suppose a court order truly exists restricting protests around Aso Rock Villa, it begs the question: why hasn’t the same police force obtained a similar order against those protesting freely for three consecutive days opposing Nnamdi Kanu’s release?

“The hypocrisy is glaring. The double standards are undeniable,” Sowore wrote in X.

He further maintained that the protest would not be a violent one but a peace march aimed at demanding the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

He added that his team consists of 115 lawyers who are ready to challenge the order of the court pending when they are formally served on Monday.