A protest in Abuja organized by lawyer and activist Maxwell Opara has highlighted the controversy surrounding the detention of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). Opara asserted that the organizers never received a court order banning the demonstration, contradicting police claims. The rally, held at the Berger Axis, saw Opara accuse the federal government of selectively enforcing court orders. He noted that several judgments have ordered Kanu’s release, yet these have been ignored; one judgment even awarded N1 billion in damages to Kanu for his continued detention.
Opara questioned why the government grants amnesty to terrorists and bandits while refusing to free Kanu. He also clarified that the police’s alleged court order only prohibited protesters from gathering near the Presidential Villa and the National Assembly, not from holding the protest itself. Despite some leaders being arrested, Opara affirmed that this would not deter the demonstrators from continuing their demand for Kanu’s release.
The incident underscores the ongoing tension between the government and IPOB, whose agenda includes advocating for Igbo independence. Kanu’s detention has become a symbol of the government’s crackdown on separatist movements. The Abuja protest is the latest in a series of demonstrations calling for his freedom, and it remains uncertain how the government will respond to the sustained pressure. With protest leaders vowing to persist, the controversy is likely to continue in the coming days.
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