00:00Justice Mohammed Gaba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday apparently rejected the plans by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Ka Yodei Egbetokan to stop the upcoming Monday, October 20th planned mass protests by Nigerians to demand the release of the detained Biafra Republic agitation leader, Mazin Amdekanu, but, according to the organiser of the protest, Omiyele Saware,
00:26after the judge initially declined to grant the Nigeria Police Force an ex-party motion to stop the planned protest in the open court, the Federal High Court Judge, Justice Umar reportedly granted the motion in chambers, imposing a ban on protests at Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, or Unity Fountain in Abuja, we await a certified true copy of the order, which our lawyers will review, the protest remains unstoppable, while this is ongoing,
00:54The United States, U.S. Embassy in Nigeria has warned America citizens to be far from the protest areas and limit their movements in the Nigeria capital city, Abuja, saying, the planned protest may lead to disruptions and violence
01:10Detailed of the court action as captured by Punch newspaper, the Federal High Court in Abuja has refused the Nigeria Police Force's bid to stop the, Free Namdi Kanono, protest, allowing it to proceed as scheduled on Monday, October 20th, 2025
01:27The Inspector General of Police, Kiyode Egbetokan, had dispatched police lawyers to the court to move an ex-party motion against activist and protest organiser, Omiyele Saware, in a bid to legally pre-empt the planned demonstration slated for the Aso Rock Villa
01:44However, Justice Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, declined to grant the motion, which would have immediately restrained the protest from taking place without hearing the opposing side
01:56The judge instead instructed the police to formally serve notice of their application on Saware and adjourned the case until Tuesday for a proper, contested hearing
02:06Reacting to the judicial decision, the protest convener, Omiyele Saware, affirmed the court's decision as a victory for civil liberties and doubled down on the scheduled protest
02:17In a statement issued on his ex-handle on Friday following the ruling, Saware said, IG of police, Nigeria, Kiyode Egbetokan dispatched police lawyers to sue me, in an effort to halt the Free Namdi Kanono protest scheduled for Aso Rock Villa on Monday
02:34However, the judge, Justice Umar of Federal High Court in Abuja, refused to grant the ex-party motion, instead instructing him to serve me notice and adjourning the case until Tuesday for a proper hearing
02:48The demonstration, organised under the hashtag Free Namdi Kanono, is intended to draw attention to the prolonged detention and legal fate of Karno
02:57The police action was seen as an attempt to leverage the courts to prevent a potentially sensitive gathering near the seat of Nigerian power
03:06The adjournment to Tuesday ensures that the planned Monday protest is not currently constrained by a court order, setting the stage for a potential high-profile confrontation between protesters and security agencies around the presidential villa
03:20Channels Television also on Friday reported that, ahead of the Free Namdi Kanono protest slated for Monday, October 20 in the nation's capital, the US Embassy in Abuja has issued a security alert to Americans
03:34In a statement published on its website on Friday, the embassy cautioned that the protest could lead to disruptions and potential violence
03:42The embassy advised US citizens to steer clear of the protest areas and limit their movement across the city
03:50The US Embassy in Abuja informs US citizens that the Free Namdi Kanono now protest has called for peaceful demonstrations on Monday, October 20, 2025, in Abuja
04:02There may be roadblocks, traffic, congestion, and confrontations between police and protesters that could turn violent around Eagle Square and the central business district
04:14The embassy advises all US citizens to avoid this area and to severely limit all movement throughout the city on Monday, October 20, the statement read in part
04:24The embassy recommended that children stay home from school and the domestic staff who commute from outside Abuja do not report to work on that day
04:34It also called on all Americans in Nigeria to take heightened security precautions
04:40The planned protest was announced by activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omiele Saware, on his ex-account on October 9
04:50Saware stated that the protest would take place on October 20 and be directed toward the Aso Rock presidential villa
04:58He described it as a, historic, and peaceful demonstration aimed at securing the release of the leader of the prescribed indigenous people of Biafra, Namdi Karno
05:08Karno, who is currently facing terrorism charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja
05:14has been in custody since June 2021 following his controversial extradition from Kenya
05:20But shortly after the aforesaid media reports, Omiele Saware in a statement through his social media accounts on Friday, said that
05:29After failing to obtain a legitimate court order to halt the unstoppable Freenam de Karno protest, the Nigeria police force has now resorted to a fresh wave of panic-driven measures
05:40In Ondo state, police authorities have reportedly ordered that officers sympathetic to the movement be confined to their barracks
05:48An action that exposes the deep unease within the system
05:51Rather than engage with the legitimate and peaceful demands of citizens, the police are turning their energy toward internal repression and fear tactics
06:00A clear sign that the movement's message has struck a nerve
06:04The people are awake, and the movement remains unstoppable
06:07In another statement on Friday accompanied with video footage, Omiele Saware said
06:13Earlier today, the Nigeria police force, FCT command invited barrister Maxwell Opara to discuss the planned Freenam de Karno protest
06:22Upon our arrival at the command's entrance, we were abruptly stopped by a police contingent stationed at the gate
06:29Offices claimed the new commissioner of police was resuming duty and could not attend to visitors until after his official resumption rituals
06:38When we were eventually allowed through, the senior police officer, Habib Mohammed who had extended the invitation met us and presented a copy of the organizer's letter seeking police protection
06:49Barrister Maxwell Opara had not arrived at that point, a letter filed by barrister Opara as legal representative of the protest movement
06:58But the tone of the meeting shifted quickly after the senior police officer, Mohammed received a phone call
07:04He informed us that the deputy commissioner of police, DCP, in charge of the state intelligence department, SID, wished to meet us
07:13When we arrived at his office, he expressed surprise at my presence at the FCT command, claiming that no invitation had been extended to me personally
07:23He remained polite, and we left courteously
07:27Shortly after, barrister Maxwell Opara arrived to the Supol's office, where the conversation turned tense
07:34The officer issued a veiled threat, warning that barrister Opara would be, held responsible if anything goes wrong anywhere in Abuja on Monday
07:43Barrister Opara reminded him that this was precisely why the organizers had sent a formal notification to ensure a peaceful and lawful demonstration
07:52The officer reportedly began shouting, and the meeting ended abruptly
07:57According to barrister Opara, it became clear that they did not want me present because they were seeking someone they could intimidate
08:05Not long after we left the command, the illegal IGP directed police lawyers to obtain a court order to stop the protest
08:13However, the federal high court judge declined to grant the order in open court
08:19It was later reported that a, limited purpose order, was issued, but no such order has been served on the organizers
08:27The Free Namdikanuno protest is unstoppable
08:30We are proceeding as planned, peacefully, lawfully, and with unwavering resolve, Omiyele Saware stated
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