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A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order restraining activist Omoyele Sowore and other groups from holding a protest march around the Aso Rock Villa and several other key locations in the nation’s capital, set to demand the release of detained separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu.
The order, granted by Justice Mohammed Umar on October 17, 2025, followed a motion filed by the Nigeria Police Force on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It specifies that Sowore, his media organisation Sahara Reporters Ltd, the Take It Back Movement (TIB) and any person acting on their instruction are temporarily barred from staging protests in or around Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly Complex, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way — pending the resolution of the motion on notice.
The injunction also includes an abridgement of time within which the respondents must respond, with the hearing scheduled for October 20, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. for the motion on notice.
Reacting to the development, Sowore described the order as evidence of “double standards” by security agencies, questioning why similar injunctions were not obtained for other protest groups. He affirmed his intention to challenge the order while insisting his planned peaceful protest will go ahead.
This court ruling raises issues about the balance between the right to peaceful assembly and the state’s responsibility to ensure public order and security. The authorities say the action is necessary to forestall any gathering that might disturb public safety around sensitive federal locations.
