Sowore alleges security operatives fired live bullets at peaceful #FreeNnamdiKanu protesters in Abuja
Omoyele Sowore, Human rights activist,has accused Nigerian security operatives of launching an unprovoked attack on peaceful demonstrators demanding the release of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, in Abuja.
Speaking on The Morning Brief on Channels Television, Sowore alleged that security agents opened fire shortly after the protest began in front of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, where supporters had gathered.
Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), claimed that the operation was carried out by a joint team of police officers, soldiers, and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps. According to him, the operatives fired both tear gas and live ammunition to disperse the protesters.
“There were about 10 trucks that arrived as soon as we started the protest. There was no provocation on our part, like we had promised. It was an orderly and peaceful protest,” Sowore said.
“Suddenly, from nowhere, they started shooting at us, tear gas, and some live bullets were fired. Luckily, I don’t think anybody was hit with live bullets, but they were just shooting all around us.”
The #RevolutionNow convener described the continued detention of Kanu as “a sham designed to obstruct justice.” He called on the Federal Government to present its evidence in court rather than “resorting to repression.”
Security was heightened across strategic locations in the city, with police officers deployed along major routes leading to the Presidential Villa. Eagle Square, Unity Fountain, and the Three Arms Zone were heavily guarded, while access roads to the Federal Secretariat and adjoining areas were barricaded, preventing movement of vehicles and pedestrians.
According to SaharaReporters, the Unity Fountain, which was the initial rally point for the protesters, was sealed off and manned by heavily armed security personnel, making the location completely inaccessible.
In a separate incident, soldiers and police officers reportedly fired tear gas at a crowd near the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Utako. The crowd, which was said not to be part of the protest, dispersed quickly as security operatives advanced.
Kanu was first arrested in 2015 on charges of treason. He was later granted bail but fled Nigeria after soldiers invaded his home in Abia State. In June 2021, he was re-arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria under controversial circumstances.
Since then, he has remained in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) despite multiple court rulings ordering his release.
In August 2025, the Federal High Court dismissed Kanu’s no-case submission, allowing him to face terrorism-related charges. His legal team has continued to express concern over his deteriorating health and has urged authorities to transfer him to the National Hospital, Abuja, for medical care.
