The Nigeria Police Force has cautioned all groups planning to join the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja to stay clear of high-security zones, including Aso Rock Villa and the National Assembly.
Police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin, in a statement, said the warning followed a court order delivered on 17 October 2025 by Justice M. G. Umar in Federal Republic of Nigeria v. Omoyele Sowore and four others (Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025).
The order prohibits protests in areas such as Aso Rock, the National Assembly complex, Force Headquarters, the Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
Hundeyin said, “In deference to the authority of the Court and in line with the constitutional mandate of the Police to enforce law and order, the Force hereby calls on all groups, whether in support of or opposed to the ongoing agitation for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to adhere strictly to the provisions of the court order.”
He emphasised that while the police recognise citizens’ rights to peaceful protest, such rights must be exercised responsibly and within the law.
“The Court’s intervention is a safeguard, not a suppression, of constitutional freedoms,” he added.
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The Force warned that any attempt to stage protests in restricted areas, incite violence, or disrupt public peace would be met with firm action.
Hundeyin also noted that anyone cauglht vandalising property or promoting violence, including online, would be prosecuted.
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has directed the FCT Commissioner of Police to ensure strict enforcement through visible deployments at strategic points across the city.
Meanwhile, activist Omoyele Sowore rejected the claim of a valid restriction order, saying, “There is no valid court order restricting the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest from Aso Rock Villa.”
He vowed that protesters would not be intimidated, insisting that “the people’s constitutional right to peaceful assembly and protest remains intact and unstoppable.”