The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court has restrained the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore and others from protesting tomorrow Monday in some areas in Abuja, including the Aso Rock Villa, for the release of detained the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
The court also barred the protesters from anywhere close to the Presidential Villa, National Assembly, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way, pending the hearing of the Motion on notice.
Justice Mohammed Umar, on Friday, granted the ex-parte Motion moved by the police lawyer, Wisdom Madaki, on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN), contrary to the earlier media reports in circulation.
The certified true copy of the enrolled order, signed by the court registrar, Kasim Mu’azu, and the presiding judge, Justice Umar, was made available to newsmen yesterday in Abuja.
The judge also made an order of abridgement of time “within which the respondents will respond to the application on notice to cause the ex-parte order to be set aside on Monday, the 20th of October, 2025, at 9:00 a.m”.
This was also contrary to some media reports that Justice Umar adjourned the matter until October 21 for the parties to appear in court.
Justice Umar subsequently adjourned the matter until October 20 for the hearing of the Motion on notice. “Issued at Abuja under the hand of the presiding judge, Honourable Justice M. G. Umar, and the seal of the court this 17th day of October, 2025,” the enrolled order read.
The ex-parte Motion, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025, the police, on behalf of FRN, sued five respondents.
They are Omoyele Sowore, Sahara Reporters Ltd, Sahara Reporters’ Media Foundation, and #TakeItBackMovement, for the transformation of Nigeria, or any form of organisation or any other person(s) acting either by express or implied instruction, or any other organisation or group with the like intention, and unknown persons as first to fifth respondents, respectively.
The affidavit in support of the ex-parte Motion was deposed to by Bassey Ibithan, a police officer attached to the Directorate of Legal Services, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
According to reports, Sowore had planned to organise the protest for the release of Kanu, leader of IPOB. Sowore, the 2019 and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), had begun mobilisation for what he called a planned peaceful protest against the detention of Nnamdi Kanu.
However, there have also been on-going calls for a political solution to Kanu’s trial, who is facing an alleged terrorism offence at the Federal High Court before Justice James Omotosho.
