Hearing in the police suit against human rights activist, Mr. Omoyele Sowore and other conveners of #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, suffered set back as court activities at the Federal High Court in Abuja came to a halt.
Although few court workers, lawyers, litigants and private guards of the court were in the premises, no judge was sighted.
There were heavy security deployments with water cannons in and around the intersection between Gana Street and Shehu Shagari Way by Nicon Hilton Hotel, the popular NITEL Junction at Wuse 2, Federal Secretariat environs, National Assembly Junction, to Asokoro District leading into Presidential Villa.
Movement of vehicles was disallowed and many pedestrians were denied walking through the restricted areas, while police fired tear gas in some places.
Last Friday, Justice Mohammed Umar had fixed today for the respondents in the ex-parte motion filed by the police, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to show cause why the interim order made by the court should be vacated.
Justice Umar had restrained Mr Sowore, the 1st respondent, and others from protesting in some sensitive areas in Abuja, including the Aso Rock Villa, today for the release of detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPoB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The judge also barred the protesters from any where close to the villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
The judge had granted the ex-parte motion moved by the police lawyer, Wisdom Madaki, on behalf of FRN on Friday.
The judge also made an order of abridgement of time ‘within which the respondents will respond to the application on notice to cause the ex-parte order be set aside on Monday, the 20th of October, 2025 at 9.00am’.
Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until 20 October for hearing of the motion on notice.
In the affidavit in support of the ex-parte motion deposed to by Bassey Ibithan, a police officer attached to Directorate of Legal Services, Force Headquarters, Abuja, the officer averred that if not granted, the protest might threaten the national security.
Sowore had planned to organised the protest for the release of Kanu.
