Federal High Court Approves Of #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest, Orders Protesters Not To Go To Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly
Federal High Court Approves Of #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest, Orders Protesters Not To Go To Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly
The ruling, delivered on Friday, October 17, 2025, by Hon. Justice M. G. Umar, followed a motion ex parte filed by the Nigerian government through the Nigeria Police Force under Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025.
The Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted approval for the planned #FreeNnamdiKanu protest, but restricted demonstrators from marching to or assembling near key national institutions, including Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, Force Headquarters, the Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
The ruling, delivered on Friday, October 17, 2025, by Hon. Justice M. G. Umar, followed a motion ex parte filed by the Nigerian government through the Nigeria Police Force under Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025.
The case, titled Federal Republic of Nigeria vs Omoyele Sowore, Sahara Reporters Ltd, Sahara Reporters Media Foundation, Take It Back Movement (TIB), and Unknown Persons, sought an interim order to restrict protesters from accessing sensitive government zones in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In the motion supported by an affidavit sworn to by Bassey Ibithan, a police officer attached to the Directorate of Legal Services at the Force Headquarters, the government argued that the protest could threaten national security if allowed to take place near restricted government areas.
After hearing arguments from government counsel Wisdom Madaki, Esq., and Joseph Anzaku, Esq., Justice Umar granted the interim order but affirmed that the right to peaceful assembly remains protected, provided the demonstrators steer clear of the prohibited areas.
Meanwhile, the court also directed that the respondents — including activist Omoyele Sowore and the Take It Back Movement — be served with the order immediately and appear for a hearing on Monday, October 20, 2025, to respond to the government’s motion.
According to the court document, “UPON THE MOTION EX PARTE dated and filed 16” October, 2025 praying the Court for the following Orders:An Order of this Honourable Court restraining or ban protesters from protesting in the following area, Aso Rock Villa or anywhere close to Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari way.
“And for such further Orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make the circumstances of this case.
“UPON READING the affidavit in support of the application deposed to by Bassey Ibithan a Police Officer attached to Directorate of Legal Services, Force Headquarters Abuja and filed in the Registry of this Court.
“AND AFTER HEARING Wisdom Madaki, Esq., (with Joseph Anzaku, Esq.) of Counsel for the Applicant move in terms of the motion ex parte.
“AND the Court having considered the application.”
It said, “The Respondents are hereby restrained in the interim from protesting in the following Areas; Aso Rock Villa, or anywhere close to Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari way pending the hearing of the motion on notice.
“The Court hereby abridged time within which the Respondents will respond to the application on notice to cause this ex-parte Order be set aside on Monday, the 20th of October, 2025 at 9.00am.
“The Order of this Court together with the Motion on Notice be served on the Respondents today Friday the 17th day of October, 2025.
“Case adjourned to 20th October, 2025 for hearing of the Motion on Notice.
“ISSUED AT ABUJA under the Hand of the Presiding Judge, Honourable Justice M. G. Umar, and the Seal of the Court this 17th day of October, 2025.”
Earlier, SaharaReporters reported that the Nigeria Police Force also issued a directive ordering heightened security measures across the country ahead of planned demonstrations on Monday, October 20, 2025, calling for the unconditional release of detained Biafran leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The wireless message, issued by the Force Headquarters in Abuja and circulated to zonal and command levels nationwide, warned that some “unscrupulous elements” had finalised plans to stage protests in the Federal Capital Territory that may spread to other states.
The directive, obtained by SaharaReporters on Saturday, instructed commanders to deploy covert personnel, keep tactical units on standby in full kit, confine other officers to barracks where necessary, and begin the orders with effect from Sunday, October 19 until further notice.
The police also ordered hourly situation reports from commands.
SaharaReporters on Friday reported that Justice Umar of the Federal High Court in Abuja refused to grant the Nigeria Police Force’s application seeking to stop the “Free Nnamdi Kanu Now” protest scheduled for Monday, October 20, 2025.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had dispatched police lawyers to the court to move an ex parte motion against activist and protest organiser, Omoyele Sowore, in a bid to legally preempt the planned demonstration near the Aso Rock Villa.
However, the Judge declined to grant the motion, which sought to restrain the protest from taking place without hearing from the opposing side.
Justice Umar instead instructed the police to formally serve notice of their application on Sowore and adjourned the case until Tuesday for a proper, contested hearing.
Reacting to the ruling, Sowore had described the court’s decision as a triumph for civil rights and reaffirmed that the protest would proceed as planned.
In a statement issued on his X handle on Friday following the ruling, Sowore said, “IG of PoliceNG Kayode Egbetokun dispatched police lawyers to sue me, in an effort to halt the FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for Aso Rock Villa on Monday.
“However, the judge, Justice Umar of Federal High Court in Abuja, refused to grant the ex parte motion, instead instructing him to serve me notice and adjourning the case until Tuesday for a proper hearing.”
The protest, organised under the hashtag #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, aims to draw attention to the continued detention and trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.
The proposed protest was announced by Sowore earlier this month through his X handle, where he described it as a “historic march” to the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
According to him, the demonstration would be peaceful and lawful, focusing on demanding Kanu’s immediate release in line with previous court rulings ordering his freedom. The march has since drawn nationwide attention, with activists and supporters citing it as a test of Nigeria’s commitment to constitutional rights, particularly freedom of assembly and expression.
With the adjournment to Tuesday, the planned Monday protest remains unconstrained by any legal order, setting the stage for a possible tense standoff between demonstrators and security operatives around the Presidential Villa.
