Police Disperse #Releasennamdikanunow Protesters After They Regrouped in Abuja.

Police officers on Monday dispersed demonstrators calling for the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, in the Utako area of Abuja.

The protesters, who had earlier fled after police fired tear gas at them near the Maitama area, regrouped at Utako to resume their demonstration. Armed officers later arrived at the scene and dispersed the crowd once again.

The group, comprising civil rights activists and members of pro-democracy organizations, participated in the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow campaign, urging the Federal Government to enforce the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted Kanu.

Earlier in the day, multiple rounds of tear gas were fired at protesters and passersby around the Transcorp Hilton and nearby streets in Maitama, causing panic and prompting traders, motorists, and commuters to flee.

After regrouping at Utako, the protesters sang solidarity songs and displayed banners before being dispersed once more by security agents. Security across the Federal Capital Territory has since been intensified, with soldiers, police, and operatives of the Department of State Services deployed to key locations, including Eagle Square, the Federal Secretariat, and the Three Arms Zone.

At the Berger roundabout, a large number of soldiers were also observed, with a gun truck positioned in the area.