The Nigeria Police Force has arraigned Aloy Ejimakor, counsel to detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, alongside Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and ten other individuals for their alleged roles in the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest held in Abuja on Monday.
The accused were brought before a court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Tuesday on charges bordering on inciting public disturbance and breach of peace. According to court filings shared by former National Human Rights Commission Chairman, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, the defendants are alleged to have participated in a protest that disrupted public movement and violated an existing court order restricting demonstrations related to Kanu’s case.
Police prosecutors claimed that the group obstructed vehicular movement, disrupted traffic, and chanted provocative slogans while calling for the release of the IPOB leader, who remains in detention facing terrorism-related charges.
Speaking earlier, the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the arrests, stating that Ejimakor, Prince Kanu, and several others had been taken into custody after they “insisted on gaining access to restricted areas.”
“We arrested Nnamdi Kanu’s brother and his lawyer because they defied security protocols and attempted to access restricted zones. Along with them, six others were apprehended around the Transcorp area, bringing the total number of suspects to eight at the time,” Hundeyin said.
He added that the suspects were detained at the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pending the conclusion of investigations, after which they were formally charged in court.
Hundeyin reaffirmed the police’s stance against unlawful demonstrations, stressing that “no one is above the law” and that the Force would not tolerate any activity capable of undermining public peace or lawful directives.