Court Adjourns Police Suit Against Sowore Over #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest to October 29

|By Chinwendu Nwani

The Federal High Court in Abuja has rescheduled the hearing of a suit filed by the Nigeria Police Force against Omoyele Sowore and other organisers of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest to October 29.

The case, earlier fixed for October 20 for the respondents to appear and show cause why the interim order stopping the protest should be vacated, was stalled after the same protest paralysed activities within the court premises.

Justice Mohammed Umar had on Friday issued an interim order restraining Sowore and his co-conveners from staging demonstrations demanding the release of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu around high-security zones in Abuja — including Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way — pending the hearing of the substantive motion.

He also abridged the time for the respondents to respond to the motion, directing them to appear on October 20 at 9am before adjourning to October 29.

The ex parte motion, filed by police counsel Wisdom Madaki on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025. The police listed Sowore, Sahara Reporters Ltd and Sahara Reporters Media Foundation as first to third respondents, while the Take It Back Movement and unnamed persons were joined as fourth and fifth respondents.

In a supporting affidavit, police officer Bassey Ibithan argued that failure to halt the planned protest could endanger national security.

Sowore, a two-time presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), had mobilised supporters for what he described as a peaceful rally on October 20 demanding the release of Kanu. Several protesters were arrested, including Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, who is expected to be arraigned on October 24 at a Kuje Magistrate Court.