Human rights activist and convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, Omoyele Sowore, has called on the Federal Capital Territory Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, and officers of the Nigeria Police Force to respect citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful protest during the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow march scheduled for Monday, October 20.
Sowore urged the police to act in line with their oath of office by ensuring the safety and protection of demonstrators participating in the march, which seeks the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The upcoming protest has already drawn public attention from legal and security circles, with activists and civil society groups reiterating that peaceful assembly remains a fundamental democratic right guaranteed by Nigeria’s Constitution.
The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in a statement on Sunday, has directed his men to be on high alert and ensure strict enforcement of the court order.
He also ordered all relevant commands to maintain visible deployments across strategic locations in Abuja to prevent a breakdown of law and order.
But in a statement shared on his social media on Sunday, Sowore urged the new FCT police boss not to adopt a heavy-handed approach to the demonstration.
Sowore called on CP Dantawaye and every police officer to refuse any order that would violate protesters’ rights and to ensure the safety of marchers.
He warned that any use of excessive force or unlawful arrests would attract repercussions,” saying Nigerians would hold accountable anyone who attempts brutality.
“Any use of excessive force or unlawful arrests will attract repercussions. The Nigerian people will hold accountable those who attempt brutality swiftly. Times are changing fast, and our citizens have been taken advantage of for too long.
READ ALSO: Sowore Warns History Repeating in Nnamdi Kanu’s Continued Detention
“We are calling on CP Dantawaye and every officer of the Nigeria Police Force to uphold their oath of allegiance to Nigerians, protect citizens, and respect the inalienable right to peaceful assembly,” Sowore wrote.
Kanu has been in the custody of the Department of State Services since June 2021.
He is facing a seven-count charge of terrorism and treasonable felony.
The IPOB leader was first arrested in 2015, granted bail in 2017, and fled after a military invasion of his home in Abia State.
Despite several court rulings ordering his release, the Federal Government has yet to comply, a situation that continues to stir public outrage and renewed agitation.