A hearing at Nigeria Police Force’s suit against Omoyele Sowore and other organisers of #FreeNnamdiKanu demonstration was on Wednesday, postponed after the presiding judge did not appear.
Gatekeepers News reports that the judge, Mohammed Umar, was reportedly required to sit in the court’s Enugu division, causing the delay.
Originally listed on this week’s cause list at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the matter has now been rescheduled for November 5 when the motion on notice will be heard.
The police had sought an order to prevent Sowore and others from staging a protest on October 20 in parts of Abuja demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
On October 17, an interim injunction was granted which barred Sowore and respondents — including Sahara Reporters Ltd, Sahara Reporters’ Media Foundation, and the Take It Back Movement (TIB) — from holding protests in designated “sensitive areas” of Abuja such as the presidential villa and court complexes. The order was to remain until the substantive motion is heard.
Despite this, the demonstration went ahead on October 20 and police officers reportedly fired tear gas and made arrests in some areas of the city.
Thirteen protesters were remanded for alleged public peace incitement, including Aloy Ejimakor, a former legal adviser to Nnamdi Kanu. Sowore was later arrested for leading protesters into restricted zones but was granted bail the next day after meeting conditions.
