Tension gripped traders and residents of Kugbo Market in Abuja on Monday as operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) reportedly stormed the busy commercial hub, questioning several market leaders over their alleged involvement in plans to mobilise for a protest calling for the release of detained IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu.
According to eyewitnesses, the security operatives arrived in multiple vehicles around noon, creating panic among traders and customers. The DSS officers were said to have moved from shop to shop, summoning some market executives for questioning over their alleged links to a planned demonstration championed by activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore, under the hashtag #FreeNnamdiKanu.
Sources told Landslide News that the operatives accused certain market leaders of coordinating youths and traders to participate in a nationwide protest being mobilised online. The protest, according to sources, seeks to pressure the federal government to release Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021 on charges bordering on treason and terrorism.
A market union executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the visit by DSS operatives caused widespread fear among traders. “They came in about four vehicles, some wearing vests with DSS markings. They called some of our leaders to one corner and started questioning them about Sowore’s planned protest. They said they had intelligence that some of us were helping to mobilise people from the market. It was very intimidating,” he recounted.
He added that the operatives warned the market leaders against allowing any political mobilisation or protest activity within the premises, threatening that anyone caught supporting the movement would be arrested and prosecuted. “They said they don’t want anyone to use the market for political gatherings. They told us to stay away from Sowore’s people,” the source said.
Another trader, who witnessed the incident, said customers fled the market during the operation, fearing possible arrests. “The atmosphere was tense; people started locking their shops. We thought it was a raid for illegal goods at first, but later realised it was because of this #FreeNnamdiKanu protest matter,” she said.
Efforts to get an official reaction from the DSS were unsuccessful as calls and text messages to the agency’s spokesperson, Dr. Peter Afunanya, were not responded to at the time of filing this report.
The reported operation comes amid renewed agitation from rights groups and activists demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), whose continued detention has sparked local and international criticism.
Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate and human rights activist, had recently announced plans for a peaceful nationwide protest to press for Kanu’s freedom, insisting that the government was violating court orders granting the IPOB leader bail.
Meanwhile, human rights organisations have condemned the alleged harassment of market leaders, describing it as an attempt to suppress citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
As of press time, normal activities have gradually resumed at Kugbo Market, though traders remain on edge, fearing further visits from security agents. The DSS has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
