The Federal High Court in Abuja has rescheduled the hearing in the case filed by the Nigeria Police Force against Omoyele Sowore and other conveners of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest to November 5.
The matter, which was listed as number 11 on Wednesday’s cause list, could not proceed due to the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, who was said to be sitting at the Enugu Division of the court.
The case was therefore adjourned for the hearing of the motion on notice.
Justice Umar had earlier fixed October 20 for the respondents to show cause why the interim order restraining them from protesting should not be vacated. However, that sitting was disrupted by the protest itself, which took place the same day and reportedly affected activities at the Federal High Court complex in Abuja.
On October 17, the judge granted an interim order sought by police counsel Wisdom Madaki, restraining Sowore and others from holding demonstrations demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), in certain parts of the Federal Capital Territory.
The order barred the protesters from staging demonstrations near sensitive locations including the Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly Complex, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way, pending the hearing of the substantive motion.
Justice Umar also abridged the time for the respondents to respond to the application, directing that they appear on October 20 at 9:00 a.m. to argue why the interim order should be set aside.
The police, in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025, listed Sowore, Sahara Reporters Limited, and Sahara Reporters Media Foundation as the first to third respondents. Also joined were the Take It Back Movement, “for the Transformation of Nigeria or any other organisation acting on its instruction,” as well as unknown persons, as the fourth and fifth respondents.
An affidavit filed in support of the motion by Bassey Ibithan, a police officer attached to the Directorate of Legal Services at Force Headquarters, Abuja, claimed that allowing the protest to proceed could pose a threat to national security.
Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in 2019 and 2023, had announced plans to organise a peaceful protest on October 20 to demand Kanu’s release.
(NAN)
