By: Manoah Kikekon
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| Police running after a peaceful protester |
ABUJA – In a dramatic escalation of tensions, Nigerian police have arrested Aloy Ejimakor, the lead counsel for detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu, during a forceful crackdown on peaceful protesters in the nation's capital.
The arrest occurred on Monday as security forces dispersed demonstrators demanding the release of Kanu under the #FreeNnamdiKanu banner, deploying tear gas and making several arrests.
The protest, which took place in the Garki area of Abuja, was organized by activists including Omoyele Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters. The demonstration was swiftly met with a heavy-handed response from police officers.
Eyewitness accounts and social media posts from the scene detail how security personnel tear-gassed the crowd before moving in to make arrests. Among those detained were Mr. Ejimakor, Kanu’s brother, and several other protesters and bystanders, signaling a direct confrontation between the state and Kanu's legal team.
Aloy Ejimakor confirmed his own arrest in a real-time social media post from the scene. “We’ve just been arrested. Myself, Prince Emanuel and others. We are at FCT COMMAND CID. Myself, Fine Boy and others. No 1 Zaria Street, Gariki 2, Abuja,” his post read.
Activist Omoyele Sowore corroborated the account, stating on his social media platform, “The @PoliceNG team deployed to brutalize #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother, and his lawyer, @AloyEjimakor, as well as innocent bystanders. They were beaten and taken to the FCT command. The police must release them immediately!”
The protests are rooted in the prolonged detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the controversial IPOB leader. Kanu was first arrested in 2015 but jumped bail in 2017. He was subsequently intercepted in Kenya in a controversial extraterritorial operation by the Nigerian government and forcibly renditioned to Nigeria in 2021.
He has been held in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) for over three years since his extraordinary rendition, facing a multi-count charge of treason, terrorism, and illegal possession of firearms. His detention and trial have been a focal point for separatist agitation in Nigeria's Southeast region and a significant source of international human rights concern.
The arrest of a lead defense lawyer in a case of such high profile has drawn immediate condemnation from human rights groups and legal associations, raising serious questions about the right to legal representation and the freedom to assemble.
As of press time, the Nigeria Police Force has yet to issue an official statement on the reasons for Ejimakor's arrest or the status of those detained. The incident is expected to further inflame tensions and draw increased scrutiny to the Nigerian government's handling of the Nnamdi Kanu case.
(NAN)