The Federal High Court in Abuja has declined an application by the Nigeria Police Force seeking to stop the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, through police lawyers, had filed an ex parte motion against activist and protest convener, Omoyele Sowore, in a bid to legally restrain the demonstration targeted at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa.
However, Justice Umar of the Federal High Court refused to grant the police request, insisting that Sowore must first be served with notice of the application before any order could be made.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case until Tuesday, October 21, for a proper hearing of the motion with both parties present.
By declining to grant the interim order, the court effectively cleared the way for the planned protest to proceed as scheduled, unless new legal action is taken before Monday.
Reacting to the ruling, Sowore hailed the decision as a “victory for civil liberties,” reaffirming that the protest would go on as planned.
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Friday, Sowore wrote:
“IG of Police Kayode Egbetokun dispatched police lawyers to sue me, in an effort to halt the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for Aso Rock Villa on Monday. However, the judge, Justice Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja, refused to grant the ex parte motion, instead instructing him to serve me notice and adjourning the case until Tuesday for a proper hearing.”
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The planned demonstration seeks to draw renewed attention to the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been in custody since June 2021 following his controversial extradition from Kenya.
The police’s attempt to secure a last-minute injunction was widely interpreted as an effort to preempt potential unrest near the seat of government.
With the court’s refusal, however, the stage appears set for what could be a tense but legally protected protest in the heart of the nation’s capital.
The adjourned hearing on Tuesday will determine the legal implications of the protest and the next steps for both the police and the organisers.