The Nigeria Police Force has arraigned Aloy Ejimakor, lawyer to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, along with Kanu’s brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and ten others following the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest held in Abuja on Monday.
According to court documents shared on X (formerly Twitter) by former National Human Rights Commission Chairman, Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, the accused persons were charged with inciting disturbance and breach of public peace in disobedience to a court order.
The police alleged that the group disrupted the free flow of traffic and denied other citizens the right to movement while chanting solidarity and protest songs demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu.
The NAN reported that the Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today that Ejimakor, Emmanuel Kanu, and others would be charged in court on Tuesday.
Hundeyin said, “We arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother and his lawyer because they insisted on accessing restricted areas. Apart from them, six others were also apprehended around the Transcorp area for the same reason, bringing the total to eight arrests.”
He added that those arrested were detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and would be prosecuted once investigations were completed.
“As stated earlier, anyone who violated the court order will be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted. Once we conclude the investigation, which should be within the day, they will face the court,” Hundeyin said.
The protest, which took place in Abuja’s central area, was part of renewed calls by supporters of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for the release of their detained leader, Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021.