Abuja — A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Kuje has ordered the remand of Barrister Aloy Ejimakor, one of the lead counsels representing detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, in Kuje Prison following the recent #FreeNnamdiKanu protest held in Abuja.
Ejimakor was remanded alongside Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and ten other protesters arrested during the demonstration calling for Kanu’s unconditional release from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).
According to the First Information Report (FIR) filed by police, the protesters violated a court order by obstructing traffic, chanting “war songs,” and disturbing public peace. They were accused of criminal conspiracy and incitement, contrary to Sections 152, 114, and 113 of the Penal Code.
The charge alleged that the group’s actions “threatened national security” while demanding the release of a man “undergoing lawful trial.”
No Legal Representation
The defendants could not take their plea as they arrived in court without legal representation. Ejimakor, who requested a short stand-down to allow his legal team to arrive, was denied by the magistrate, who adjourned the case until Friday.
A member of Kanu’s legal team confirmed that a bail motion had been filed but expressed frustration that police authorities refused to receive the application, claiming the authorized officer was unavailable.
Ejimakor Speaks from Prison
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Ejimakor confirmed his detention, assuring supporters that he was “safe and sound” but described the court’s decision as unfair.
“The magistrate refused to listen to our submissions and insisted on remanding us till Friday,” he wrote, adding that authorities deliberately took the case to the Kuje court despite other available magistrate courts in Abuja.
Reactions and Condemnations
Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara condemned the arrests and called for the immediate release of all detained protesters, describing the police’s actions as “a dent on Nigeria’s global image.”
He criticized security operatives for using tear gas on peaceful protesters and manhandling journalists, warning that such repression signaled Nigeria’s slide into dictatorship.
“Why is the APC government that came to power through protests now afraid of protests?” Wabara asked. “Muzzling dissent is a prelude to dictatorship.”
Wabara urged President Bola Tinubu to heed public calls for Nnamdi Kanu’s release to ease tension in the South-East, arguing that if the government could pardon convicted criminals and negotiate with bandits, it could also extend similar leniency to Kanu.
Civil Rights Outcry
Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi faulted the judiciary and police for curtailing citizens’ right to protest, saying Nigeria was “pretending to be a democracy.”
“In a true democracy, no police permit is needed to protest. The police should protect, not suppress,” Farotimi said.
He lamented that the judiciary had become “an extension of the executive,” likening the situation to the unfulfilled reforms promised after the 2020 #EndSARS protests.
ActionAid and Amnesty International React
Both ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) and Amnesty International (AI) jointly condemned the excessive use of force on protesters in Abuja and Lagos, describing it as a “direct breach of Nigeria’s constitution and human rights laws.”
Their joint statement, signed by AAN Country Director Dr. Andrew Mamedu and AI Country Director Isa Sanusi, demanded an independent investigation into the assault on protesters, including activist Yemi Adamolekun of Enough Is Enough (EiE).
“These repeated assaults reflect a disturbing shrinkage of Nigeria’s civic space,” the statement read. “The government must immediately cease all attempts to suppress peaceful protests and respect citizens’ rights.”
Both organizations vowed to continue monitoring the situation closely, emphasizing that peaceful assembly is a “non-negotiable duty of the state.”
