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.

Detailed of the Court action as captured by Punch NewsPaper; “the Federal High Court in Abuja has refused the Nigeria Police Force’s bid to stop the “Free Nnamdi KanuNow” protest, allowing it to proceed as scheduled on Monday, October 20, 2025.

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had dispatched police lawyers to the court to move an ex parte motion against activist and protest organiser, Omoyele Sowore, in a bid to legally preempt the planned demonstration slated for the Aso Rock Villa.

However, Justice Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, declined to grant the motion, which would have immediately restrained the protest from taking place without hearing the opposing side.

The Judge instead instructed the police to formally serve notice of their application on Sowore and adjourned the case until Tuesday for a proper, contested hearing.

Reacting to the judicial decision, the protest convener, Omoyele Sowore, affirmed the court’s decision as a victory for civil liberties and doubled down on the scheduled protest.

In a statement issued on his X handle on Friday following the ruling, Sowore said, “IG of Police, Nigeria, Kayode Egbetokun dispatched police lawyers to sue me, in an effort to halt the FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for Aso Rock Villa on Monday.

“However, the judge, Justice Umar of Federal High Court in Abuja, refused to grant the ex parte motion, instead instructing him to serve me notice and adjourning the case until Tuesday for a proper hearing.”

The demonstration, organised under the hashtag FreeNnamdiKanuNow, is intended to draw attention to the prolonged detention and legal fate of Kanu.

The police action was seen as an attempt to leverage the courts to prevent a potentially sensitive gathering near the seat of Nigerian power.

The adjournment to Tuesday ensures that the planned Monday protest is not currently constrained by a court order, setting the stage for a potential high-profile confrontation between protesters and security agencies around the Presidential Villa”.

Channels Television also on Friday reported that; “ahead of the FreeNnamdiKanuNow protests slated for Monday, October 20 in the nation’s capital, the US Embassy in Abuja has issued a security alert to Americans.

In a statement published on its website on Friday, the Embassy cautioned that the protest could lead to disruptions and potential violence.

The embassy advised US citizens to steer clear of the protest areas and limit their movement across the city.

“The US Embassy in Abuja informs US citizens that the Free Nnamdi Kanu Now protest has called for peaceful demonstrations on Monday, October 20th, 2025, in Abuja.

“There may be roadblocks, traffic congestion, and confrontations between police and protestors that could turn violent around Eagle Square and the Central Business District.

“The Embassy advises all US citizens to avoid this area and to severely limit all movement throughout the city on Monday, October 20th,” the statement read in part.

The embassy recommended that children stay home from school and that domestic staff who commute from outside Abuja do not report to work on that day. It also called on all Americans in Nigeria to take heightened security precautions.

The planned protest was announced by activist and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore, on his X account on October 9.

Sowore stated that the protest would take place on October 20 and be directed toward the Aso Rock Presidential Villa. He described it as a “historic” and peaceful demonstration aimed at securing the release of the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

Kanu, who is currently facing terrorism charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja, has been in custody since June 2021 following his controversial extradition from Kenya”.

But shortly after the aforesaid media reports, Omoyele Sowore in a statement through his social media accounts on Friday, said that; “after failing to obtain a legitimate court order to halt the unstoppable FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, the Nigeria Police Force has now resorted to a fresh wave of panic-driven measures.

In Ondo State, police authorities have reportedly ordered that officers sympathetic to the movement be confined to their barracks, an action that exposes the deep unease within the system.

Rather than engage with the legitimate and peaceful demands of citizens, the police are turning their energy toward internal repression and fear tactics, a clear sign that the movement’s message has struck a nerve. The people are awake, and the movement remains unstoppable”.

In another statement on Friday accompanied with video footage, Omoyele Sowore said; “Earlier today, the Nigeria Police Force, FCT Command invited Barrister Maxwell Opara to discuss the planned FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest.

Upon our arrival at the Command’s entrance, we were abruptly stopped by a police contingent stationed at the gate. Officers claimed the new Commissioner of Police was resuming duty and could not attend to visitors until after his official resumption rituals.

When we were eventually allowed through, the senior police officer, Habib Mohammed who had extended the invitation met us and presented a copy of the organizers’ letter seeking police protection, Barrister Maxwell Opara had not arrived at that point, a letter filed by Barrister Opara as legal representative of the protest movement.

But the tone of the meeting shifted quickly after the Senior Police Officer Mohammed received a phone call. He informed us that the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of the State Intelligence Department (SID) wished to meet us. When we arrived at his office, he expressed surprise at my presence at the FCT Command, claiming that no invitation had been extended to me personally. He remained polite, and we left courteously.

Shortly after, Barrister Maxwell Opara arrived to the SuPOL’s office, where the conversation turned tense. The officer issued a veiled threat, warning that Barrister Opara would be “held responsible if anything goes wrong anywhere in Abuja on Monday.” Barrister Opara reminded him that this was precisely why the organizers had sent a formal notification to ensure a peaceful and lawful demonstration. The officer reportedly began shouting, and the meeting ended abruptly.

According to Barrister Opara, it became clear that they did not want me present because they were seeking someone they could intimidate.

Not long after we left the Command, the illegal IGP directed police lawyers to obtain a court order to stop the protest. However, the Federal High Court judge declined to grant the order in open court. It was later reported that a “limited-purpose order” was issued, but no such order has been served on the organizers.

The FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest is unstoppable. We are proceeding as planned, peacefully, lawfully, and with unwavering resolve” Omoyele Sowore stated.