Human rights advocate and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has denied claims that the Federal High Court in Abuja issued an order halting the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for Monday, October 20.
In a statement posted to his verified X account, Sowore dismissed reports circulating in the media and attributed them to misinformation allegedly spread by police authorities and complicit outlets.
He insisted that no legal barrier exists against peaceful protest, revealing that the court did not grant the police’s request to stop the rally.
"There is no court order stopping Nigerians from protesting peacefully.
"The so-called ‘court order’ being circulated was secretly obtained by police lawyers and has not even been served on anyone.
"It only mentioned that protesters should avoid places like Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way," he wrote.
Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court had earlier declined to grant an ex parte motion filed by police lawyers seeking to restrain Sowore and other organizers from staging the protest near key government locations.
The judge ruled that the police must first serve the defendants before any hearing could proceed, effectively allowing the demonstration to go ahead.
Sowore reaffirmed the protest’s legitimacy and vowed that it would hold as planned.
"The protest date is sacrosanct; the movement is unstoppable," he added.
The protest is aimed at demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who remains in detention amid ongoing legal proceedings.
In a related development, a court-appointed medical panel has confirmed that Kanu is fit to stand trial. His defense is set to begin on October 23, with October 30 marked as the deadline for its conclusion.
As tensions rise ahead of Monday’s rally, civil rights groups and political observers are closely watching how the Nigerian government will respond to what is shaping up to be a major test of constitutional freedoms.
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