Nigeria police hearth tear fuel at Abuja protesters

[ad_1] <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/c010/live/0de05d30-adbc-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/c010/live/0de05d30-adbc-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c010/live/0de05d30-adbc-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/c010/live/0de05d30-adbc-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/c010/live/0de05d30-adbc-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/c010/live/0de05d30-adbc-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/c010/live/0de05d30-adbc-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/c010/live/0de05d30-adbc-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Reuters Silhouettes of police officers in front of tear gas smoke" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Reuters Protesters had gathered from as early as 07:00 earlier than being dispersed

The Nigerian police have fired tear fuel to disperse protesters who had gathered within the capital, Abuja, over the continued detention of separatist chief Nnamdi Kanu.

The protesters, led by activist and writer of the Sahara Reporters information web site, Omoyele Sowore, need the speedy launch of Kanu, who's on trial on terrorism costs and heads the outlawed Indigenous Folks of Biafra (Ipob).

Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021, has denied the fees. He additionally holds British nationality.

Ipob is in search of independence for what they name the Biafran nation in south-eastern Nigeria.

Eyewitnesses stated cops fired a number of rounds of tear fuel at individuals who had begun to collect as early as 07:00.

The police additionally blocked main roads within the capital, inflicting heavy gridlock and confusion throughout a number of elements of the town.

In a publish on X, Sowore stated that safety operatives had arrested a number of people, together with Kanu's relations and authorized workforce.

The police haven't commented on the reported arrests.

Regardless of his many battles with the Nigerian authorities, Kanu stays a cult hero to his many followers, particularly in south-east Nigeria.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/75b0/live/40454c80-adb3-11f0-a1e9-05271081384a.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/75b0/live/40454c80-adb3-11f0-a1e9-05271081384a.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/75b0/live/40454c80-adb3-11f0-a1e9-05271081384a.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/75b0/live/40454c80-adb3-11f0-a1e9-05271081384a.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/75b0/live/40454c80-adb3-11f0-a1e9-05271081384a.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/75b0/live/40454c80-adb3-11f0-a1e9-05271081384a.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/75b0/live/40454c80-adb3-11f0-a1e9-05271081384a.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/75b0/live/40454c80-adb3-11f0-a1e9-05271081384a.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images Nigerian separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu dressed in white with three nose-masked Nigerian security officers by his side." class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Getty Pictures Nnamdi Kanu (in white) accompanied to court docket by Nigerian safety officers, 4 months after his re-arrest in 2021

Ipob was banned as a terrorist organisation in 2017. Its armed wing - the Jap Safety Community - has been accused of killings and different acts of violence lately.

Kanu was first arrested in October 2015 on terrorism costs however he jumped bail in 2017 and left the nation after a navy raid on his dwelling. The court docket later revoked his bail in March 2019 and ordered his re-arrest.

Two years later, the Nigerian authorities introduced his re-arrest. His legal professionals say he was detained in Kenya, which has not commented on whether or not it performed a job in his deportation to Nigeria.

In 2022, an enchantment court docket ordered that the fees towards him be dropped however this was overturned by the Supreme Courtroom the next yr.

His authorized workforce is because of begin his defence on Thursday after the court docket threw out their argument that he had no case to reply.

Extra about Nigeria from the BBC:

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Getty Pictures/BBC [ad_2] Source link