Abuja, October 18, 2025 – In a swift judicial intervention that has ignited fresh debates on freedom of expression and national security, the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued a temporary injunction barring prominent activist Omoyele Sowore and several co-defendants from proceeding with a high-profile protest scheduled to demand the unconditional release of incarcerated Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu. The ruling, delivered on Friday, October 17, 2025, by Justice M.G. Umar, effectively freezes the planned demonstration in key government enclaves around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), underscoring the perennial tensions between civil liberties and state authority in Nigeria's polarized political landscape.
The controversy erupted when the Federal Government, through its legal representatives, urgently approached the court seeking an ex parte injunction to prevent what it described as a potential threat to public order and national institutions. The protest, organized under the banner of the Take It Back Movement—a coalition of pro-democracy activists—was set to converge in front of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, the symbolic heart of Nigeria's executive power, along with other strategically sensitive locations. According to court documents, the event aimed to spotlight the prolonged detention of Nnamdi Kanu, the fiery IPOB founder arrested in 2021 and currently facing treasonable felony charges. Kanu's case has become a lightning rod for separatist sentiments in Nigeria's southeastern region, where supporters view his imprisonment as emblematic of systemic marginalization.
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Named as the primary defendant, Omoyele Sowore, the firebrand journalist and founder of the Sahara Reporters media platform, has long been a thorn in the side of successive Nigerian administrations. A former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 elections, Sowore's #RevolutionNow movement previously led to his own dramatic arrest and trial on similar charges of inciting insurrection. Undeterred, he has continued to champion causes ranging from electoral reforms to ending police brutality. Joining him as co-defendants are the Sahara Reporters Foundation, the Take It Back Movement, and a catch-all category of "other unknown persons" believed to encompass a broad network of grassroots organizers, youth groups, and online influencers mobilizing via social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and WhatsApp.
Justice Umar, presiding over the matter at the Federal High Court Complex in Abuja, wasted no time in granting the government's prayers. In a concise but firm ruling read in open court, the judge issued an interim order restraining all defendants from staging any form of protest, procession, or gathering in a list of prohibited zones. These include the Aso Rock Villa itself or "anywhere close to the Villa," the National Assembly Complex, the Force (Police) Headquarters, the Court of Appeal Division, Eagle Square—a historic site for national events—and the bustling Shehu Shagari Way. The order remains in force pending the full hearing of a motion on notice, effectively buying the government time to prepare its substantive case while averting immediate disruptions.
The court's directive also imposes a tight deadline on the defendants: Sowore and his allies have until Monday, October 20, 2025, to file a formal application challenging the interim injunction and arguing why it should be vacated. Legal experts anticipate a fierce counter-motion, with Sowore's legal team likely invoking constitutional provisions under Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, which guarantee freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly. "This is a classic clash between the right to protest and the state's monopoly on security," observed Dr. Chidi Odinkalu, a prominent human rights lawyer and former National Human Rights Commission chair, in a post-ruling interview. "The judiciary must tread carefully to avoid stifling legitimate dissent."
The backstory to this showdown traces back to escalating agitations over Nnamdi Kanu's fate. Detained since his rendition from Kenya in June 2021, Kanu has seen his trial mired in procedural delays, including a brief release on bail in 2022 that was revoked amid enforcement challenges. IPOB, declared a terrorist organization by the government in 2017, continues to rally global Igbo diaspora support, with recent UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention reports criticizing his continued incarceration as unlawful. Sowore's planned October 19 protest was billed as a "Rescue Nnamdi Kanu Now" rally, promising thousands of participants chanting slogans like "Free Kanu, Free the East" and waving Biafran flags—symbols that invariably provoke federal backlash.
Reactions have poured in from across Nigeria's fractious spectrum. Supporters of the protest, including civil society heavyweights like the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), decried the order as "judicial overreach" and a "betrayal of democratic ideals." On X, #FreeNnamdiKanu trended nationwide, amassing over 150,000 posts within hours, with users sharing videos of past Sowore-led marches. "They fear the people's voice because it shakes their thrones," tweeted Sowore himself from his verified account, vowing defiance while adhering to the legal timeline. Conversely, government allies and security analysts praised the ruling as a "proactive safeguard." Information Minister Mohammed Idris, speaking at a press briefing, affirmed: "No one is above the law. Protests must not endanger critical infrastructure."
This is not Sowore's first brush with court injunctions. In 2019, similar orders curtailed his nationwide #RevolutionNow actions, leading to months of detention. The Take It Back Movement, born from the 2020 #EndSARS youth uprising against police brutality, has since evolved into a broader anti-establishment force, organizing over 50 protests in the last two years. Its partnership with Sahara Reporters—known for investigative exposés on corruption—amplifies its reach, boasting millions of online followers.
As Monday's deadline looms, all eyes turn to the courtroom drama. Will Sowore's team dismantle the injunction with airtight legal arguments, or will the government fortify its position with evidence of potential unrest? Broader implications ripple outward: with Nigeria's 2027 elections on the horizon, this case could set precedents for protest regulations, influencing how opposition voices navigate an increasingly vigilant state apparatus. Human rights monitors, including Amnesty International, have urged judicial independence, warning that "suppressing one protest today silences a thousand tomorrow."
In the sweltering heat of Abuja's political cauldron, Sowore's resolve remains unbroken. "We will march in spirit if not in body," he declared in a live Instagram session Friday evening, rallying supporters to "pray, litigate, and prepare." As the nation holds its breath, the Federal High Court's gavel has once again reminded Nigerians that the path to justice is as contested as the protests it seeks to quell.
