Human rights activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has announced plans to lead a peaceful protest in Abuja on October 20, 2025, demanding the immediate release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The protest, tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, is scheduled to begin at 7:00 AM with a march to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. Sowore described the event as a “historic” and lawful demonstration aimed at compelling the Nigerian government to comply with multiple court orders that have granted Kanu bail since his controversial extradition from Kenya in 2021.
Sowore has urged prominent political, religious, and traditional leaders—especially from the South-East—to join the protest. He specifically named Governor Charles Soludo, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Governor Alex Otti, and Peter Obi, challenging them to move beyond rhetoric and take visible action.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has endorsed the protest, calling Kanu’s continued detention “an open sore on our nation’s conscience” and a violation of the rule of law.
Kanu has been held by the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021, facing charges of terrorism and treasonable felony. Despite a 2022 Court of Appeal ruling that discharged and acquitted him, the Federal Government has yet to release him.
Sowore revealed that members of the Abia State House of Assembly and other stakeholders have expressed interest in joining the movement. He emphasized that the protest is not about placards alone but about unified, visible action.
Sowore stated, “If we genuinely believe that Mazi Nnamdi Kanu deserves freedom, then every leader of conscience must act—now, not later.” He also confirmed that the protest will be conducted peacefully and within the bounds of the law.