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Nigeria is presently at a boiling point. The tension is effervescence. The demand for the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has returned to the front burner, even as his continued trial for treason related offences has also continued in a very unexpected, but dramatic manner as he has reportedly taken over his court trial. 

Already, politicians and human rights groups have continued to mount pressure on the Federal Government over the continued detention of the Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB). 

The demand for the unconditional release the incarcerated eminent son of Ndigbo rose to the crescendo last Monday, October 20, 2025 following a peaceful protest by activists led by Omoyele Sowore, The Presidential candidate and National Leader of the African Action Congress (AAC) and publisher of the popular online medium, Sahara Reporters. 

Ironically, the rally coincided with the fifth anniversary of the #ENDSARS protest, which also claimed lives in different parts of the country, particularly Lagos. 

However, the peaceful protesters had to be attacked by hundreds of policemen at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and unleashed canisters of teargas to disperse them. Some of them, including Mazi Kanu’s brother and his lawyer were arrested and detained. Sowore himself was also arrested on Thursday at court premises as he attended a court session on the trial of Nnamdi Kanu. 

The Police authorities claimed to have obtained a last-minute court order allegedly stopping the protesters from accessing some vital areas in the FCT, which they turned back to claim that Sowore and his co-compatriots violated. 

A Passionate Call 

Making a passionate and urgent appeal for the release of Kanu is Chief Emeka Charles Kalu, a seasoned politician and an aspirant to the Abia North Senatorial seat. 

Kalu, the President of ECK Foundation while speaking to Sunday Independent maintained that the current public concern for the immediate and unconditional release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has come to stay and that his continued detention in the DSS facility, having being discharged of all criminal and terrorism allegations by the competent court of jurisdiction, is a clear violation of his human rights and an abuse of the constitutional processes that bind us as one indivisible nation. 

Kalu said that since the government has failed to respect the rule of law on certain issues of global attention, it is evident that Kanu’s arrest in Kenya was not only illegal, but a calculated attempt to undermine the voice of Ndigbo in the country. 

Chief Kalu said: “Kanu’s critical heath conditions confirmed by medical experts deserve urgent attention despite his not having any case to answer before the Nigeria court. Recently, President Tinubu granted pardon to inmates that committed murder and other heinous crimes, but left Nnamdi Kanu to continue languishing in detention. 

“Personally, I have written Mr. President, drawing his attention to the urgency of releasing Mazi Kanu since the court finds no justification to adjudge him a terrorist as intentionally created by his haters to frustrate his peaceful call for Biafra independence considerations which remains a civic right of a citizen to lawfully demand.” 

Kalu, Director-General, Global Initiatives for Good Governance (GIGG), stressed that currently, concerned Nigerians are not happy with the government over Kanu’s continued incarceration and for that reason, they are ready to take to the street in protest against such man ‘s inhumanity to man. 

He noted that “a respected national leader in the person of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar” had also slammed the government for failing to release him, while Sowore in his capacity as a media voice in the country has taken a stand on the government to have Kanu freed. 

“So, in the interest of national unity, I strongly support the drive for his unconditional release to enable him reconnect with his family, friends and well-wishers. 

“In a politically civilised society, the media remains the unbending instrument used in exposing leadership tyranny, while in Nigeria, the government sees it as a threat and only a bold, unbought and fearless media personality in the rank of Sowore could stand the test of creating public awareness on the need for Kanu’s immediate release. 

“As an advocate of peace and defence for human rights, I join my radical and courageous activist and the entire Nigeria youths to demand the unconditional release of Mazi Nnamdi Kane. 

“Recall that Sunday Igboho faced the same line of charges under the late Buhari government, but was released few months after Senator Bola Tinubu took over from him as the President of the country. So, why shouldn’t Mazi Kanu be released in like manner if actually we are people bonded under one united entity called ‘Nigeria’? he asked. 

Chief Kalu, who signed off as a political activist, international media analyst and advocate of peace, concluded: “Therefore, it is time to call a ‘spade a spade’, not minding how it grills the feelings of those who think they are not protected by the revelations of truth and the need to establish justice over corruption and political high handedness.” 

CDHR Laments Police Attack Of Protesters 

In a related development, the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), in a statement dated Monday, October 20, 2025 condemned police brute force unleashed on non-violent #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters in Abuja, and demanded unconditional release of arrested protesters. 

The statement signed by Debo Adeniran, National President, CDHR, while condemning the disruption of the peaceful protest-led by Mr. Omoyele Sowore in Abuja, lamented that the protest, a constitutionally guaranteed peaceful assembly, was met with unnecessary force by officers of the Nigerian Police. 

CDHR said: “We would like to remind the government that freedom of assembly and expression in a protest are fundamental and inalienable human rights, enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and several international human rights instruments that Nigeria subscribes to. 

“The government cannot therefore criminalize citizens who assemble peacefully and express their opinions on, or dissatisfaction with government actions, inactions or 

policies. The actions of the Nigerian Police in tear-gassing armless, non-violent civilians constitute excessive use of force and a gross violation of the protesters’ rights and opposed to all known democratic principles. 

“It is oppressive and utterly condemnable. It is our belief that no individual or group in a free and democratic society should be subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment for simply exercising their rights of expression and to peaceful assembly and, indeed protests. 

“The deployment of state instruments of coercion against citizens expressing such legitimate grievances against a government action is an unacceptable abuse of power and a direct assault on the sensibility of our people and civilized principles of democracy. Such high-handed tactics do not resolve conflicting issues but rather exacerbate them, thus breeding public resentment and creating a fertile ground for more hostile and possible subterranean violent actions in the future.” 

The group said it was particularly surprised by the reports of arrest of several protesters in Abuja. It stressed: CDHR demands the immediate and unconditional release of all individuals detained for participating in this peaceful protest. Their arrest is unnecessary and a blatant attempt to criminalize dissent. 

“The CDHR wishes to state unequivocally that government’s attempt at silencing dissent voices will also breed grave consequences on the nation’s peaceful coexistence and stability. Such will turn out to engender public anger that has a potentiality of devastating volatility that may be difficult to douse. 

“We, in the CDHR, will continue to monitor the situation closely with a view to ensuring that those whose rights are violated in this and other protests get deserved justice.” 

Socialist Workers’ League Adds Voice 

Also, in a statement titled ‘Stop State Terrorism! Stop the Repression! Free Nnamdi Kanu Now!! Justice for EndSARS!!’ the Socialist Workers League (SWL) condemned what it termed “The unbridled reign of terror by the Nigerian state”, which it said had reached great heights under the All Progressives Congress (APC) regime. 

In the SWL statement signed by its National Chairperson, Jharmo Towolawi, and National Secretary, Amara Nwosu, the group said: “We did not fight so hard as a people to defeat military dictatorship only to have a civilian dictatorship that has been as brutal and insensitive as the military in repression of our democratic rights.” 

It noted that five years ago, scores of young Nigerians were killed by the police and Armed Forces at the Lekki Tollgate and across several other locations in Lagos and other states in Nigeria. 

According to the SWL, their ‘crime’ was to have demanded the proscription of the dreaded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The #EndSARS rebellion was drowned in blood. But, the spirit of resistance lives on. 

It stated: “Today, the Nigerian state met peaceful demonstrations of activists demanding freedom for Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) with high-handedness. The police brutally dispersed the protesters, led by Omoyele Sowore, the National Chairperson of the African Action Congress (AAC), with volleys of teargas. This is unacceptable. The continued detention of Mr Kanu since 2021 is little more than a denial of justice with its delay.” 

The SWL made the following demands. As it put it, “Brutalisation of protesters and repression of peaceful demonstrations by the police and other security agencies run contrary to our constitutional rights. These must be stopped and criminalised. Officers who give orders for such actions must be prosecuted. 

“The Nigerian state must take responsibility for its bloody repression of the EndSARS rebellion. An unambiguous apology must be tendered. Full compensation for all victims and to the families of those killed must be paid. 

“The EndSARS rebellion must be recognised as a poignant moment in Nigeria’s history and a monument to those who paid the supreme sacrifice erected at the Lekki Tollgate where the most palpable massacre was carried out, on behalf of all those felled across the country. 

“Nnamdi Kanu must be freed and negotiations commenced to curtail violence in the South East, which has been exacerbated by his continued detention as a reaction by armed non-state actors associated with his cause. 

“Respect for the right of all nationalities in Nigeria, up to and including the right to secession. Thus, a referendum be organised to democratically distil out the will of the people in the Southeast on secession or not, and the same goes for any other region in the country. 

“Without prejudice to the right of all nationalities to self-determination, we urge working-class people across the length and breadth of the country to stand united, across ethnic, regional and even possible new national lines of division, to fight against the ruling class of bosses who exploit us and for our revolutionary liberation to build a better society based on international socialism.”