Gunshots as Police Disperse #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protesters in Abuja

Police fired gunshots to disperse #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters in Abuja.
Sowore and others fled as security operatives stormed the rally.
Protesters defied warnings not to demonstrate near Aso Rock.

Security operatives on Monday morning dispersed protesters calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), after firing gunshots to break up the demonstration.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that a video circulating on social media showed human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and several other organizers of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest running for safety as police officers fired live rounds into the air. The protesters had gathered in Abuja with plans to march to the Presidential Villa to demand Kanu’s release.

According to eyewitness reports, heavily armed personnel from the police and military had taken over the protest area around 7 a.m., preventing the demonstrators from proceeding with their march. The situation quickly turned chaotic as security operatives fired shots to disperse the crowd, forcing participants to flee in different directions.

The Nigeria Police Force had earlier warned the group against staging any protest near the Aso Rock Villa, describing such an action as a threat to public peace and security. Despite the warning, organizers went ahead with the rally, insisting on what they described as their constitutional right to peaceful protest.

Sowore, who was seen fleeing in the viral video, later condemned the actions of the security agencies, accusing them of suppressing citizens’ rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

As of the time of filing this report, there were no confirmed casualties, though several protesters reportedly sustained minor injuries while attempting to escape the scene.