Police Explain Use of Tear Gas on #FreeNnamdiKanu Protesters in Abuja

The Nigeria Police Force Headquarters has justified the use of tear gas to disperse demonstrators in Abuja demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The protest, which took place across parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) — including the Three Arms Zone, Maitama, and Jabi — saw protesters calling for Kanu’s freedom from prolonged detention by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Police operatives reportedly fired tear gas after protesters attempted to march toward the Three Arms Zone, which houses major national institutions such as the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly, and the Court of Appeal.

The move, however, drew condemnation from Amnesty International Nigeria, which described it as an “attempt to suppress peaceful protests.”

In a statement on its official X handle, Amnesty International said:

“Amnesty International receives disturbing reports of attempts to crack down on peaceful protests holding in Abuja, calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu. People must be allowed to freely exercise their right to peaceful protest. Any act capable of undermining freedom of assembly is illegal and portrays unacceptable intolerance of peaceful dissent.”

The human rights group urged authorities to protect citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights treaties, including the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

Responding to the backlash, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, defended the police action, stating that it complied with legal restrictions on protests in sensitive areas of Abuja.

Hundeyin wrote on his X handle:

“Police tear-gassed protesters attempting to approach Aso Villa in clear contravention of a court order restricting protesters from the Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
We are the country’s foremost law enforcement agency. We carried out our mandate.
And we did not block the road but cleared it after it was blocked by the protesters to enable other Nigerians easy passage to their respective destinations.”

Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has been in the custody of the DSS since June 2021 and is currently facing trial on terrorism-related charges before the Federal High Court, Abuja.

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