By Lateef Adegbite, Suleiman Umaru and Elizabeth Chukwuma
It is no longer news that the organisers of ‘’ the Free Nnadi Protest’’, Omoyele Sowore, an activist, Alloy Ejimako, and detained Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s Layer, who were said to have duly informed the Authorities, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT and Ajao Adewale, the then Commissioner of Police, FCT, Command of the October 20, 2025, protest.
The Force Headquarters Authorities may have done their home to ensure that the October 20 protest did not succeed, with the replacement of the FCT Command CP Adewale with CP Dantawaye Miller on Friday, October 17, 2025, for the strategic assignment of stopping the protest.
Kayode Egbetokun, Inspector General of Police, IGP, in his capacity as a member of the Nigeria Security Council, NSC, may have taken the bold initiative to replace CP Adewale, of the FCT, Command to build on the existing security frameworks with the capital city.
The rising tensions in different parts of the world, including the developed economies of the North American country of the United States, France, Britain, Nepal and the recent coup detat in Madagascar, had earlier approached and Federal High Court to stop the protest.
In spite of the fact that Justice Umar, of the Federal High Court Abuja, had declined to grant the police motion which would restrained the protest from taking place , it had not stopped te Force from tightening up security around the Aso Rock , the country’s Seat of Power and the Maitama district Area of the capital city , to forestall the protesters , who were said to have gathered in their thousands from embarking on the protest.
Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of House Representatives was said to have urged Igbo residents in Abuja, to stay in their homes and not come out for the protest as their blood may be used as sacrifice. One Chukwuma Ofoegbu, was said to hired seven coastal buses from the east loaded with passengers, who were said to have been the Nigerian flag to stage a counter-protest against Kanu’s release in Abuja.
Acting out a script a script, the security operatives who were said to have been deployed to Berger where the protesters were said to have gathered as the Eagle Square had been denied them to forestall marching to the Presidential Villa were said to have thrown cautions to the winds as they have had teargassed defenseless protesters who were just chanting ‘’Free Kanu now before the release of gunshots that was said to have forced the protesters which includes market women, men and students, from different parts of the country, to scamper for safety.
The security operatives may have prepared to frustrate the well-planned conduct of the Free Kanu who had been in the Department of State Service custody for more than eight years, protest. His of fence was not unconnected to the fact that his the founder of the Separatist movement: indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, abducted from Kenya, by late former President ministration in Kenya and taken into Department of State Services, DSS, custody in the FCT. Ejimakor, Kanu’s Lawyer, Prince Kanu, younger brother of detained senior Kanu, alongside other Free Kanu protesters were said to have been arrested .
Mohammadu Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, had reportedly warned the Yorubas and the Nigerian government not to push the Igbos to the wall with the continued detention of Kanu, the IPOB, Leader, to avoid throwing the country into crisis.
The revered Traditional ruler, had alluded to the resilience and strength the Igbos demonstrated during the Nigeria -Biafra Civil war which was said to have lasted three years. The Sultan, going by his body language had shown that all is not well in this country, describing as misleading to claims that Nigeria won the war by its strength.
Given an insider information as a former military officer, who rose to the enviable rank of Brigadier General before finally retiring from the military to hold the exalted office of the Sultan of Sokoto, he was quoted to have said that Nigeria did not fight the eastern region, which had been split into five states, comprising of Abia, Anambra, Eboyi, Enugu and Imo.
There are indications that that Britain, the North American country of the Unted States, Russia and four other European countries and some African countries including Egypt and the central African country of Cameroun, had joined forces to suppress the Igbos separatist group.
Security experts, had said that going by the resilience and strength of the Igbos, no African nation, on their own, could have defeated the Igbos in the battlefield, no even Nigeria. ‘’These are people born to fight and survive’’, the Sultan had said. This may have informed why detained Kanu, had repeatedly told those that had come in contact with him at a close range in the Court or DSS, custody, had said that even if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, decides to pardon and set him free, he will not leave Abuja without Biafra as a country of its own to which his mother and father had died in the hands of security operatives.
While Sowere and Ejimakor, had mobilized other Nigerians to protest for the release of detained Kanu, the powerful politicians from the south east, who ought to have supported the protests turned their back on it. Former Vice President Atiku Atiku Abbakar, who had promised to be part of the Fee Kanu protest may have shocked many as he showed up with his entourage and security details at Berger to be part of the protest.
While Sowere, an activist, Ejimakor, detained IPOB, Leader and other protesters had been arrested by the FCT, police Command for daring to lead a protest in Abuja for the release of Kanu, who is currently in DSS, custody, , notorious Bandits group Leaders are busy signing peace deals with state and local government officials in Katsina and Zamfara states, an indication of a country with two laws.
Aliyu Daudawa, Chairman of Faskari Local Government Area in late former President Buhari, home state, Katsina, was said to have walked into the Tafoki forest, to negotiate with the armed to secure Bandits operating in the area to facilitate the release of 26 kidnapped victims.
The Faskari Local Government Chairman security may have been guaranteed before entering into the forest to secure the release of those kidnapped victims as he was said to have earlier signed a peace pact with a Fulani group, who were said to be armed to the teeth within the local Community. The Faskari Chairman was said to have negotiated with bandits group Leader, one Isiya Kwashen Garwa, who was said to have eventually facilitated the safe release of the abductees on Sunday, October 19, 2025. Faskari, LGA, over the years, according to an informed source had over the years being a target of the Bandits multiple attacks, raids and kidnappings.
The situation in Katsina is not different from what is appening in Zamfara, where Turji Bello, who is on the military wanted list but working freely, and who had strengthened his hold on the north western states of Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Kaduna, and Katsina, was said to have freed 100 kidnapped Zamfara hostages after signing a peace deal with communities which was said to have been facilitated through the peace deal process of the North West Operation Safe Corridor.
Admitted that Christopher Musa, an Army General and Chief of Defense Staff, CDS, and had repeatedly cautioned against going into peace deals with the armed Bandits as negotiations had always backfired, but that was how far he could go.
Nothing appears to have been done by the military personnel to force the government officials and community leaders signing these peace peace with the Bandits to take them to the forests where these criminal elements operates to deal decisively with these criminal elements to stop endangering the lives of residents of residents of these Katsina and Zamfara states Communities.
Many believes that the continued detention of Mazi Kanu, while the Bandits, who kill innocent citizens, could sit on the same same Negotiating table with a Coucil Chairman in the forest to sign a peace deal in Katsina state and other parts of the north western geopolitical region speaks volume. The message is very clear that the Igbos have not been forgiven , 55 years, after the three- year-old civil war had ended due to lack of trust.
Former President Jonathan, after the kidnap of the Chibok girls, in Borno state, had taken the bull by the horn to deal decisively with the Boko Haram terrorists, but was accused of trying to eliminate a particular tribe, that the international Community kicked against his government efforts to stamp out the activities of the criminal elements which had grown into monster in the state.
