Founder of SaharaReporters news media and the organizer of the Free Nnamdi Kanu protest, Omoyele Sowore has refuted and debunked the reports circulating in some sections of the media that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has stopped the upcoming Monday October 20th mass protest organized to demand the release of the detained Biafra Republic agitation leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, saying, the media report is false and a calculated attempt to distract members of the public from coming out to join the protest, adding, Nnamdi Kanu is so sick that the people must come out now to set him free, the sickness as alleged by Omoyele Sowore apparently challenged the medical report issued by the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA who had submitted its panel report before the trial Court on Thursday that Nnamdi Kanu is fit to face trial, that, the sickness is not life threatening, but, Punch Newspaper reporter at the court on Thursday reported that it was the Department of State Services, DSS lawyer, who happened to be one of the parties in the dispute that presented the NMA medical report before the court, we are yet to ascertain the independency, fairness, objectivity, accuracy and transparency of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA in conducting the medical examination.

In a statement on Saturday, Omoyele Sowore said; “the Federal High Court in Abuja has not stopped the proposed FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest slated for Monday, October 20, 2025.

Contrary to the misleading claims being circulated by police lawyers and sections of the media, no order was granted restraining citizens from exercising their constitutional right to peaceful assembly.

Justice Umar of the Federal High Court declined to issue any ex parte order sought by the police to halt the nationwide protest altogether. What exists is a purported “court order” obtained in chambers by lawyers of the Police, (which has not been served on anyone) asking that protesters not protest at Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, Eagle Square, and a certain Shehu Shagari Way, the latest false claims designed to confuse the public and discourage participation. The protest date is sacrosanct; the movement is unstoppable!”

In another statement, Omoyele Sowore said: “I was deeply involved in the struggle for the validation of the June 12 election, and I remember vividly how the system operated back then, how they weaponized the judiciary to buy time, to deceive the public, and to justify injustice.

They kept saying, “Abiola’s case is in court”, using that as a shield for tyranny, until they eventually killed him a day before his “supposed” release. It was a well-orchestrated tragedy disguised as legal processes.

Today, I see the same script being replayed with Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the same manipulation, the same excuses, fake narrators, fake protesters, the same abuse of process. The language has not changed; only the victims have.

History is repeating itself before our eyes. And just as we fought to expose the truth then, we must do so now, before it’s too late. The Nnamdi Kanu I saw in court on October 16 is very ill, we must rescue him before another citizen is sacrificed to the blood thirsty Nigerian elite club”

Punch Newspaper had during the week reported that the “Nigerian Medical Association on Thursday informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that the illness of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, is not life-threatening.

The medical panel set up by the NMA President said it had concluded the health assessment ordered by the court on the IPOB leader and found that Kanu is fit to stand trial.

About two weeks ago, the trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, directed the association to independently assess Kanu’s health status following conflicting medical reports presented by the defence and the prosecution.

While DSS counsel, Mr Awomolo Adegboyega (SAN), maintained that Kanu’s health could be adequately managed at the DSS medical facility, the defence counsel, Mr Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), insisted that his client’s health was deteriorating and that he should be taken to the National Hospital for proper care.

This prompted Justice Omotosho to order the NMA to conduct an independent medical examination to determine, among other things, whether the DSS medical facility could cater to Kanu’s needs or if he should be transferred to the National Hospital as requested by the defence. The report is also expected to determine whether Kanu is fit to stand trial.

However, at the previous sitting, Omotosho had to adjourn for October 16, for the presentation of Kanu’s medical examination report by the NMA due to the inability of the panel to conclude its assessment of the IPOB leader’s health status and present its findings before the court.

The DSS requested a one-week adjournment to allow the NMA medical board to conclude its investigation. Kanu is currently being prosecuted by the Federal Government on charges relating to alleged terrorism.

According to the panel’s report, which was submitted to the court on October 13, by the prosecution team led by Awomolo and partly read in open court during Thursday’s proceedings, the medical body stated that “the defendant’s ailment does not pose any immediate danger to his life and confirmed that he is fit to stand trial.”

Relying on the medical findings and in the absence of any objection from counsel to the parties, Omotosho ruled that the court was satisfied that the defendant could proceed with his trial and okayed the medical facility of the DSS for his medical care.

The judge consequently granted Kanu six consecutive days, beginning from October 23 to 30, to open and close. “The defendant has until the 30th day of October to close his defense,” Omotosho said.

Additionally, Justice Omotosho granted an oral application by Kanu’s lead counsel, Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN), seeking permission for a private consultation between the defendant and his legal team outside the Department of State Services premises. Agabi had argued that the defence team feared their discussions with Kanu might be monitored or recorded by the DSS.

The court therefore approved that the private meeting be held within the courtroom, with only Kanu and his lawyers present. The consultation is scheduled to take place between 9am and 12 noon on October 22, ahead of the resumption of the trial on October 23. The court adjourned for continuation of the trial and commencement of Kanu’s defence to 23rd October 2025.

We had reported that Justice Mohammed Garba Umar of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday apparently rejected the plans by the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun to stop the upcoming Monday, October 20th planned mass protests by Nigerians to demand the release of the detained Biafra Republic agitation leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, but, according to the organiser of the protest, Omoyele Sowore, after the Judge initially declined to grant the Nigeria Police Force an ex-parte motion to stop the planned protest in the open court, the “Federal High Court judge, Justice Umar reportedly granted the motion in chambers, imposing a ban on protests at Aso Rock Villa, National Assembly, or Unity Fountain in Abuja, we await a certified true copy of the order, which our lawyers will review, the protest remains unstoppable”, while this is ongoing, the United States, US Embassy in Nigeria has warned America citizens to be far from the protest areas and limit their movements in the Nigeria capital city, Abuja, saying, the planned protest may lead to disruptions and violence.

We had also reported that the Nigerian Army authority has issued a statement, denying threat messages issued against members of the public ahead of the planned mass protest slated for October 20, 2025 to demand for the release and freedom of the detained Biafra Republic agitation leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, just as the organiser and chief campaigner, Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of SaharaReporters news media met to seek understanding with the former President of Nigeria, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, who, according to Sowore, promised to visit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to discuss the issue with him.