The Nigerian police have fired tear gas to disperse protesters who had gathered in the capital, Abuja, over the continued detention of separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu.
The protesters, led by activist and publisher of the Sahara Reporters news site, Omoyele Sowore, want the immediate release of Kanu, who is on trial on terrorism charges and heads the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob).
Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021, has denied the charges. He also holds British nationality.
Ipob is seeking independence for what they call the Biafran nation in south-eastern Nigeria.
Eyewitnesses reported that police officers fired multiple rounds of tear gas as crowds began to gather as early as 07:00 (06:00 GMT). Major roads were blocked, leading to significant traffic disruptions across several areas of the city.
Sowore indicated on social media that security forces arrested several individuals, including Kanu's family members and legal team, although police have not confirmed these arrests.
Despite numerous confrontations with the Nigerian government, Kanu remains a figure of admiration among his followers, particularly in the southeastern region of the country.
Ipob was designated a terrorist organization in 2017. Its armed faction, the Eastern Security Network, has faced accusations of violent acts in recent years. Kanu was initially arrested in October 2015 but escaped bail following a military raid in 2017.
The Nigerian government's efforts to detain Kanu culminated in his re-arrest in 2021 amid claims of his capture in Kenya, a country that has not publicly commented on the matter. An appeal court had previously ruled in 2022 to drop the charges against him, but that decision was reversed by the Supreme Court the following year.
Kanu's defense team is scheduled to present its case this Thursday after the court dismissed arguments for his case to be thrown out.
