#FreeNnamdiKanu protest: Police arrest Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor

Aloy Ejimakor, a key member of Nnamdi Kanu’s legal team, was reportedly taken into custody by the Nigerian police on Monday morning in Abuja, just as demonstrations demanding the release of the leader of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were set to begin.

Posting on his X handle at 7:58 a.m., Ejimakor confirmed his arrest alongside several others involved in the planned protest, which was scheduled to take place in Abuja and other regions across Nigeria.

“We’ve just been arrested. Myself, Prince Emanuel and others. We are at FCT COMMAND CID. Myself, Fine Boy and others. No 1 Zaria Street, Gariki 2, Abuja,” he wrote.

The protest had been a subject of intense national debate for weeks and even led to a legal challenge. On Friday, the Federal High Court in Abuja approved the demonstration but placed restrictions on certain locations where gatherings would not be allowed.

The ruling prohibited protesters from assembling near sensitive government areas such as Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, Force Headquarters, the Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.

However, the organisers, led by human rights campaigner and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, maintained that they had not been officially served the court order and insisted that the protest would proceed as planned.

Police authorities also stated they would adhere to the court’s directive and advised demonstrators to avoid the restricted zones.

Earlier on Monday, Ejimakor appeared alongside Sowore in a social media video leading chants of “Free Nnamdi Kanu now” near the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) headquarters in Maitama, Abuja.

The 1-minute-55-second clip ended abruptly after gunfire erupted, scattering the crowd. Sowore was seen fleeing, while one protester’s voice shouted, “Let’s go to Berger.”

It remains unclear whether Ejimakor’s arrest occurred at that specific location.

Nnamdi Kanu, who has been declared fit to face trial, is scheduled to begin his defence on Tuesday.

Kanu has remained in custody since June 2021, when he was apprehended in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria to continue his terrorism trial that began in 2015.

The IPOB leader, who campaigns for an independent Biafra, faces accusations from the Nigerian government of promoting violence and unrest across the South-east in pursuit of secession.

When contacted, Josephine Adeh, spokesperson for the FCT Police Command, declined to comment on Ejimakor’s reported arrest, stating she was not responsible for communications concerning the protest.

Another officer, whose contact information Adeh provided as the official spokesperson for protest-related matters, also said he could not provide any details when reached by reporters.