Heavy Traffic as #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest Grounds Abuja Roads

Traffic as #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest Grounds Abuja Roads
The demonstration caused heavy gridlock along the Kugbo–Nyanya expressway.
Police fired gunshots to disperse Sowore and other protesters near Aso Rock.

Major roads in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, were blocked on Monday as protesters demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), took to the streets.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that the demonstration caused widespread gridlock across key routes, with motorists, commuters, and commercial drivers stranded for hours. The Kugbo–Nyanya expressway was one of the worst hit, as the protest led to a severe traffic bottleneck that stretched for several kilometres.

Photos circulating on social media showed long queues of vehicles heading into the city centre from the Nyanya axis, with protesters and parked vehicles blocking multiple lanes. Many residents lamented the disruption, describing the situation as frustrating and avoidable.

In a related development, another video captured human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and other organizers of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest fleeing as police officers fired gunshots to disperse the crowd. Security operatives, including police and soldiers, reportedly took over the protest grounds around 7 a.m. on Monday.

The protesters had planned to march to the Presidential Villa to demand Kanu’s release, but their movement was halted as security forces moved in to enforce an earlier warning issued by the Nigeria Police Force against holding demonstrations near sensitive government locations.

Sowore, seen running alongside other protesters in the viral video, later condemned the police response, accusing the authorities of violating citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful protest.