A reporter of AFP covering the ongoing #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest has been reportedly rough handed by policemen in front of Transcorp hotels, Abuja.
In a video showing a camera allegedly damaged by the policemen, Omoyele Sowore wrote; “This is the instruction illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun gave his bulldog Nigeria Police Force new commissioner, Miller Dantawaye to do, he was told to violate and brutalize journalists, protesters and anyone engaging in #FreeNnameiKanuNow protest. Here is his policemen roughhandling @AFP reporter in front @TranscorpHotels today in ABUJA!
Meanwhile, the Arewa Take-It-Back Movement (ATIB), a coalition of Northern Nigerian youth, activists, and civil society leaders, has declared full support for the ongoing #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest.
In a statement issued by Comrade Nazif Bashi, Lead Coordinator of ATIB, the group said its decision to stand with the movement reflects a collective demand for justice and respect for the rule of law.
The group warned against oppression and suppression of the protesters, and called for a national unity.
“As voices from the North, we stand with our brothers and sisters across Nigeria in demanding the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, whose continued detention since June 2021, despite multiple court rulings, including the October 2022 Court of Appeal judgment ordering his release, undermines the rule of law and democracy itself,” the statement read.
ATIB emphasised that Kanu’s detention is not an ethnic or regional issue, but a national crisis that threatens the liberty of all Nigerians.
The group drew parallels between the injustice faced by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and broader cases of repression across the country.
“This is not an Igbo issue; it is a national crisis that endangers every Nigerian’s liberty,” the group stated.
“The injustice faced by Mazi Kanu mirrors the silencing of citizens in Plateau, Benue, Southern Kaduna, and Borno, and the growing misuse of the Cybercrimes Act to suppress dissent.”
The group also commended human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and the Take-It-Back Movement for championing a united national campaign for justice.
The group described the peaceful march to Aso Rock as “a moral duty to demand accountability from the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.”
ATIB urged all Arewa youth, students, and traders across the country to participate in the peaceful demonstration, stressing that Nigeria’s unity must be rooted in justice, not oppression.
The group demanded the “immediate and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu; compliance with all judicial rulings on his case; access to medical care and humane treatment, and repeal of repressive laws like the Cybercrimes Act.”
ATIB called on authorities to respect citizens’ constitutional rights under Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly and association.
“To the federal government and security agencies: honour the courts, uphold the Constitution, and permit peaceful assembly,” the group said.
Similarly, the International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights (ISSJHR) has expressed deep concern over the continuous detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu despite multiple valid court rulings ordering his release.
In a statement by the Chancellor, Dr. Omenazu Jackson, said, “This act of defiance by the Nigerian Government constitutes a direct assault on the rule of law, a principle that forms the very foundation of democratic governance”.
It further said, “A government that disregards the sanctity of judicial pronouncements sets a dangerous precedent — one that replaces justice with authoritarianism and erodes the moral legitimacy of state authority”.
“If the government itself refuses to obey court orders, can it justly demand obedience from its citizens? How can protesters be restrained by a fresh ruling of the Abuja High Court scheduled for October 20, 2025, while previous judgments in favour of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu are ignored? Where, then, lies the equity and justice that hold a nation together?
“Nigeria’s continued detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu violates several international conventions and instruments to which it is a signatory and which have been domesticated under Nigerian law, including:
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR, 1948):
Article 9 prohibits arbitrary arrest, detention, or exile. Article 10 guarantees a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal.
“The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR, 1966):Article 9(1) affirms that “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention. Article 14 provides the right to a fair trial.
“Nigeria ratified this covenant in 1993, making it legally binding.
“The African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004: Article 6 provides that “every individual shall have the right to liberty and the security of his person. Article 7 ensures the right to be tried within a reasonable time by an impartial court.
“The African Charter is domestic law in Nigeria and, therefore, enforceable in Nigerian courts.
“The United Nations Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Human Rights (1999): Protects individuals who engage in peaceful advocacy, expression, and assembly.
“By detaining Mazi Nnamdi Kanu indefinitely despite judicial orders, the Nigerian Government stands in gross violation of these conventions and its own Constitution, particularly Section 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which guarantee the right to liberty and fair hearing.
The statement noted that releasing Kanu was aState’s duty to uphold Justice
“The continued incarceration of Nnamdi Kanu is not merely a legal aberration but a moral and political crisis. It portrays Nigeria as a nation unwilling to respect its own judiciary, a state that weaponizes the law to silence dissent rather than uphold justice.
“The government must not push citizens into civil disobedience by its persistent violation of the law. History teaches that when a state repeatedly suppresses lawful expressions of liberty and justice, it invites anarchy and instability.
“The International Society for Social Justice and Human Rights therefore:
“Demands the immediate and unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu in compliance with all subsisting court rulings.
“Calls on the Nigerian judiciary to assert its independence and defend the sanctity of its judgments.
“Urges the international community, especially the United Nations Human Rights Council, the African Union, and ECOWAS Court of Justice, to intervene and hold Nigeria accountable for breaches of international human rights obligations.
“No nation can claim to be democratic while harboring prisoners of conscience and selectively obeying court judgments. The soul of democracy thrives on justice, not repression.
“The government should not push the citizens into lawlessness. The continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu is an affront to the rule of law and a call to civil disobedience — a call we may be prepared to undertake in due course.”
