Calm has returned to Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, following Monday’s widespread disruption caused by the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest that paralyzed movement and business activities across several parts of the city.
A Channels Television crew confirmed on Tuesday that normal traffic flow and commercial activities had resumed in the city centre and surrounding areas. The heavy presence of security operatives seen on Monday had largely disappeared, while shops, offices, and public institutions reopened for business.
The protest, led by activist Omoyele Sowore, had drawn a small crowd of demonstrators demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been detained since 2021 following his arrest and extradition from Kenya.
On Monday morning, security forces barricaded major routes around the Federal Secretariat, Eagle Square, Unity Fountain, and the Three Arms Zone to prevent protesters from marching toward Aso Rock Villa. Tear gas was fired to disperse the crowd as protesters chanted slogans including “Free Nnamdi Kanu now” and “It’s our constitutional right to protest.”
Some demonstrators vowed to continue their agitation despite police resistance, shouting “Tear gas cannot stop us” before retreating. Eyewitnesses also reported that tear gas was fired near the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in Utako, scattering bystanders who were not part of the protest.
The demonstration came amid renewed public pressure on the government to release Kanu, who faces treasonable felony charges and remains in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
By Tuesday morning, the city had returned to normal, though residents expressed concern about the growing frequency of politically charged protests in the capital.
