A popular shopping complex, EDA Plaza, located in the Jabi area of Abuja, has been shut down following a police operation to disperse protesters demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The protest, which began earlier on Monday, turned chaotic when police officers fired multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse demonstrators who had gathered in parts of the city. Several protesters ran into EDA Plaza to escape the gas, prompting officers to fire tear gas into the building.
Traders, customers, and journalists fled in panic as smoke filled the premises. As of press time, the plaza remained sealed off, with police patrol vehicles stationed around the area.
Earlier, protesters under the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow campaign had converged on various parts of Abuja, including Maitama and Utako, demanding Kanu’s release in compliance with the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted him.
Police operatives had first dispersed the group around the Transcorp Hilton area using tear gas canisters, causing panic among commuters and traders. The protesters later regrouped in Utako, chanting solidarity songs and displaying banners before being dispersed again by armed officers.
The demonstrators, comprising civil rights activists and members of pro-democracy groups, say their campaign is aimed at urging the Federal Government to respect court orders and release Kanu unconditionally.
Source: Punch
