On October 20, 2025, the streets of Abuja and Lagos were anything but quiet. As dawn broke over Nigeria’s capital, groups of determined protesters gathered, their numbers swelling as early as 7:00 a.m. local time. Their demand was clear: the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, the separatist leader at the heart of a storm that has gripped the nation for years. The day quickly turned chaotic as Nigerian police, bolstered by armed soldiers, responded with force—firing volleys of tear gas, deploying water cannon, and blocking major roads, effectively paralyzing sections of the city and leaving commuters ensnared in heavy gridlock.
According to BBC News, the protests were spearheaded by activist and publisher Omoyele Sowore, who has long been an outspoken advocate for Kanu’s release. Sowore, himself no stranger to government opposition, led demonstrators through the capital, their chants echoing through the city. But the authorities were ready. Eyewitnesses described police firing multiple rounds of tear gas at the crowds, scattering protesters and sending many running for cover. The police presence was formidable, with officers patrolling alongside armored trucks and water cannon, determined to quash any hint of unrest.
The crackdown was not limited to Abuja. In Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, tensions boiled over as well. France 24 reported that police clashed with protesters there, deploying tear gas and, according to some accounts, even firing gunshots. The atmosphere was tense, and the message from the authorities was unmistakable: dissent would not be tolerated. By the end of the day, dozens of protesters had been arrested, including at least 13 individuals in Abuja alone. Among those detained, Sowore said on social media, were members of Kanu’s family and his legal team—a move that sent a chill through the demonstrators and underscored the government’s zero-tolerance approach.
The protests were fueled by mounting frustration over the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu, who holds both Nigerian and British citizenship, is the leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group that has been pushing for the secession of southeastern Nigeria to form an independent Biafran nation. For many supporters, especially among the Igbo ethnic group, Kanu is a symbol of resistance against what they see as decades of marginalization by the Nigerian state. His followers view his incarceration as politically motivated, insisting that the terrorism charges he faces are a pretext to silence a powerful voice for Biafran self-determination.
Kanu’s legal saga is complex and fraught with controversy. He was first arrested in October 2015 on terrorism charges—a move that ignited a wave of protests and drew international attention. After being granted bail, Kanu fled the country in 2017 following a military raid on his home. The court revoked his bail in 2019 and ordered his re-arrest, which came two years later under circumstances that remain murky. His lawyers claim he was detained in Kenya and forcibly returned to Nigeria, though Kenyan authorities have not commented publicly on the matter.
Once back in Nigeria, Kanu was detained on charges that carry life sentences. He has consistently pleaded not guilty, maintaining that the accusations are unfounded. In 2022, an appeal court ordered that the charges against him be dropped, offering a glimmer of hope to his supporters. However, that ruling was overturned by Nigeria’s Supreme Court the following year, and Kanu has remained behind bars ever since. According to Reuters, his legal team is now preparing to begin his defense, after the court rejected their argument that he had no case to answer. The next stage of his trial is set to commence on October 23, 2025.
The government’s hardline stance has only deepened the sense of grievance among Kanu’s supporters. IPOB was banned as a terrorist organization in 2017, and its armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, has been accused of carrying out attacks and other acts of violence in recent years. The authorities insist that their actions are necessary to maintain order and prevent a repeat of the devastating civil war that erupted in 1967, when the southeast region declared independence as the Republic of Biafra. That conflict, which raged for three years, claimed more than a million lives and left deep scars that have yet to fully heal.
“The Nigeria Police Force reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rule of law and maintaining public peace in accordance with constitutional provisions,” police spokesperson Benjamin Hundeyin said in a statement ahead of the protests, as reported by UPI. He urged all groups to comply with court orders and to avoid inciting violence or carrying weapons. But for many protesters, those warnings rang hollow. “Security operatives have arrested several individuals, including Kanu’s family members and legal team,” Sowore wrote on X, painting a picture of a government willing to go to great lengths to silence dissent.
The unrest has cast a spotlight once again on the deep divisions within Nigerian society. The Igbo community in the southeast has long complained of marginalization, and Kanu’s imprisonment has become a rallying point for those demanding greater autonomy and recognition. According to France 24, the case has stoked tensions not just in the southeast, but across the country, as the government grapples with a host of security challenges and growing public frustration.
As the dust settles on the latest round of protests, questions linger about what comes next. Will the government’s tough approach quell the agitation, or will it only serve to inflame passions further? Kanu remains, for now, behind bars—his fate hanging in the balance as his trial resumes. His supporters, undeterred by arrests and tear gas, vow to keep up the pressure, insisting that justice has yet to be served.
For many Nigerians, the events of October 20 were a stark reminder of the country’s unresolved tensions and the high stakes of the ongoing struggle over identity, justice, and the future of the nation. The road ahead looks uncertain, but one thing is clear: the debate over Biafra and the treatment of its advocates is far from over.