Police scatter #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow protests with teargas in Abuja

Police officers on Monday dispersed protesters demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra , Nnamdi Kanu, at the Utako area of Abuja.

The protesters, were earlier forced to flee after police fired tear gas canisters at them around the Maitama area.

When they later regrouped at Utako to continue their demonstration, armed operatives again moved in and scattered the protest with another round of teargas canisters.

The demonstrators, made up of civil rights activists and members of pro-democracy groups, were part of the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow campaign aimed at pressuring the Federal Government to comply with the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted Kanu.

Earlier in the day, police had fired multiple rounds of tear gas at protesters and passers-by near the Transcorp Hilton and adjoining streets in Maitama.

The development created panic, forcing commuters, traders, and motorists to run for safety.

After regrouping at Utako, the protesters continued chanting solidarity songs and displaying banners before security agents again used tear gas to scatter them.

Security has since been tightened across the Federal Capital Territory, with soldiers, police, and operatives of the Department of State Services stationed at strategic locations including Eagle Square, the Federal Secretariat, and the Three Arms Zone.

Also, at the Berger roundabout, our correspondent saw a large number of soldiers with a gun truck mounted in the area.

PUNCH