A day after the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest rocked Abuja, an Abuja Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Kuje has ordered the remand of Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, lead counsel to the detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, alongside Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel (popularly known as Fineboy), and ten others in Kuje Prison.
Ejimakor and the others were arrested by security operatives during Monday’s peaceful protest demanding the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021 over terrorism charges.
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the police, the protesters allegedly engaged in criminal conspiracy, incitement, and public disturbance—offences punishable under sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code. The police accused them of “chanting war songs, blocking traffic, and disobeying a court order.”
No Legal Representation, Bail Bid Blocked
Although the defendants were docked, they could not enter their pleas due to the absence of legal representation. Ejimakor requested a brief adjournment to allow their legal team to arrive, but the magistrate refused and ordered that all twelve be remanded till Friday.
Efforts by Kanu’s legal team to file and serve bail applications were also frustrated, as the police claimed that “the appropriate officer to receive the documents was not available.”
Ejimakor Speaks from Prison
From Kuje prison, Ejimakor confirmed his detention in a post on X (formerly Twitter):
“I am safe and sound but still in custody at Kuje Prison. The magistrate refused to listen to our submissions and insisted on remanding us till Friday.”
He further alleged that the authorities “bypassed several magistrate courts in town” to take the case to Kuje deliberately.
Reactions Trail Arrests
Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara condemned the arrests, calling for the immediate release of all detained protesters. He decried what he described as “the criminalization of peaceful protest” and warned that the clampdown tarnishes Nigeria’s global image.
“Why is the APC that came to power through protests suddenly afraid of protests?” Wabara queried. “Muzzling dissent is the road to dictatorship. This is not the democracy we fought for.”
He urged President Bola Tinubu to order their release and consider freeing Nnamdi Kanu as a step toward peace in the South-East, stressing that “if repentant terrorists can be freed, so can Kanu.”
‘Nigeria Only Pretending to Be a Democracy’ – Farotimi
Civil rights lawyer Dele Farotimi also slammed the judiciary and police, describing the situation as proof that Nigeria is “only mimicking democracy.”
“In a democracy, citizens don’t need police permits to protest. The police are to protect, not suppress,” he said on Channels Television. “Our judiciary now serves the executive, not justice.”
Farotimi likened the current crackdown to the #EndSARS experience, saying nothing has changed since then:
“They changed the name from SARS to SWAT, now RRS — but the system remains the same.”
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