Police Deny Using Live Bullets on #FreeNnamdiKanu Protesters in Abuja

The Nigeria Police Force has refuted allegations that its officers used live ammunition to disperse participants during Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in Abuja, insisting that only tear gas was deployed to maintain order.

Police spokesman, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, explained that the loud sounds heard during the protest were from tear gas canisters, not gunfire, as claimed on social media.

“No live ammunition was fired today. The tear gas used to disperse the protesters was in line with standard crowd control procedures,” Hundeyin said. He added that the security operation followed a valid court order prohibiting demonstrators from moving close to sensitive government areas.

The protest, led by activist Omoyele Sowore and joined by Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor, and his brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, began peacefully before police intervened as the group marched towards the Aso Villa.

Eyewitnesses, however, reported that at least one person sustained injuries, while Ejimakor, Prince Kanu, and several journalists from News Central TV were arrested. Videos circulating online showed protesters fleeing amid smoke and loud explosions, fueling claims that live bullets were fired.

The demonstration coincided with the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests, which began peacefully in 2020 before turning violent.

Before his arrest, Sowore told reporters that the rally demanded justice and the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, whom he described as a “victim of political persecution.”

Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga criticised Ejimakor’s participation, saying it breached professional conduct expected of a lawyer representing a client in court. However, human rights advocate Inibehe Effiong countered that no law forbids lawyers from joining peaceful demonstrations.

Police authorities confirmed that those arrested during the protest would be charged in court and condemned reports of journalists being assaulted by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been in detention since 2021 after his arrest in Kenya and extradition to Nigeria. He faces charges of treason and terrorism, which he has consistently denied.