In a surprising turn of events, the Federal Government of Nigeria has quietly obtained a restraining order from the Federal High Court in Abuja against human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and others planning the October 20, 2025, #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest.
The order, which bars the organisers from staging or mobilising protests near key government buildings in Abuja, comes barely days after the same court initially declined the government’s ex parte request to stop the planned demonstration.
According to court documents seen by Landslide News, Justice M.G. Umar of the Federal High Court 5 had earlier refused to grant an injunction filed by government counsel Wisdom Madaki, who represented the police and the Federal Government. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/2202/2025, sought to prohibit Sowore, the Take It Back (TIB) Movement, RevolutionNow, and other unnamed individuals from participating in or promoting the protest calling for the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
At the initial hearing, Justice Umar declined to issue an injunction without hearing from the defendants, directing that they be served and invited for a formal hearing on October 21 — a day after the scheduled protest.
However, fresh information obtained by Landslide News on Friday indicated that the judge later granted the order privately after an unscheduled meeting with the government’s lawyer. A legal source familiar with the matter revealed that the government’s counsel, Madaki, was summoned into the judge’s chambers where the order was subsequently signed.
“The order was granted privately. Wisdom just came out of the judge’s chambers with the signed order,” the source confirmed.
The restraining order now prohibits Sowore, the Take It Back Movement, RevolutionNow, and “persons unknown” from organising, participating in, or promoting any protest within the proximity of sensitive areas including the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, the National Assembly complex, the Court of Appeal, and the Unity Fountain in Abuja.
The government’s action follows increasing public mobilisation and online campaigns ahead of the October 20 protest, which Sowore described as a peaceful march to demand the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu. Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has been in government custody for several years despite multiple court rulings ordering his release.
Sowore, who has long been an advocate for civil liberties and good governance, insists that the planned demonstration is lawful and rooted in the people’s right to peaceful assembly. According to him, the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest aims to “end political persecution and restore confidence in Nigeria’s justice system.”
In preparation for the event, Sowore met with several notable political figures including former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Both politicians reportedly expressed support for dialogue and justice in handling Kanu’s case, with Jonathan promising to discuss the issue with President Bola Tinubu.
However, the Presidency, through its spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, has condemned the planned protest, accusing Sowore of seeking to incite unrest under the guise of activism. “Nnamdi Kanu is standing trial for treason. The law must take its course,” Onanuga stated, warning that any attempt to destabilise the peace of the Federal Capital Territory would not be tolerated.
Civil rights groups, however, have criticised the government’s secretive approach, describing it as a violation of democratic norms. The Coalition for Democratic Rights in Africa (CODRA) said in a statement that “obtaining secret court orders against peaceful protest organisers sends a dangerous message about the shrinking civic space in Nigeria.”
With the new court order now in place, it remains unclear whether Sowore and his supporters will proceed with the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow march. Activists insist that the movement for justice cannot be silenced, while the government continues to maintain that its actions are based on national security considerations.
As the October 20 date draws closer, tensions appear to be rising between the state and civil society groups, once again testing Nigeria’s fragile balance between security control and citizens’ rights to peaceful expression.
