Abuja Protests Dispersed, U.S. Embassies Warn

Mass protests in Abuja on Monday calling for the release of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu disrupted traffic and business in the central district. Police fired tear gas near the Transcorp Hilton, dispersed demonstrators at multiple locations and arrested some participants, including a member of Kanu’s legal team, Aloy Ejimakor, while counter-protesters also marched briefly. A Federal High Court had authorized the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration but issued an interim order barring marches or assemblies near sensitive sites such as Aso Rock, the National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way; organiser Omoyele Sowore vowed to challenge the order and said his legal team of more than 100 lawyers would proceed. Security was tightened across the Federal Capital Territory with soldiers, police and DSS operatives deployed and roadblocks that left courts and major roads deserted and many commuters stranded. The U.S. Embassy in Abuja warned American citizens to avoid protest areas and limit movement, and the U.S. Embassy in Trinidad and Tobago issued an alert advising avoidance of U.S. government facilities amid heightened tensions with Venezuela after recent U.S. strikes in Caribbean waters.