Tension in Abia as Sowore, Kanu’s brother, others protest for IPOB leader’s release
Tension in Abia as Sowore, Kanu’s brother, others protest for IPOB leader’s release
By Ndukaku Ihe
There was tension in Abia on Thursday as the leader of pro-democracy group, RevolutionNow and 2023 Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore and Emmanuel Kanu, the younger brother of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu led residents and sympathizers of the detained IPOB leader to a one million-man peaceful protest in Aba for his release.
Sowore in the company of Nnamdi Kanu’s younger brother, Emmanuel, led the protesters from A line, through the popular Enyimba junction, off Ariaria International Market.
From Enyimba junction, the protesters marched through the Enugu-Umuahia-Aba-Port Harcourt Expressway to Ariaria junction where Sowore addressed the protesters.
Addressing the protesters, Sowore said his decision to join the peaceful march for the release of Nnamdi Kanu was to join forces with the residents of Aba and the Southeast to speak against injustice meted to one of their sons.
Sowore while demanding that President Bola Tinubu should direct for the immediate and unconditional release of Kanu from Sokoto Prison, said sending the IPOB leader to jail by Justice James Omotosho was a wrong decision by the federal government.
“Until Nnamdi Kanu is released, the peaceful protest will continue”, Sowore assured.
The IPOB leader’s brother, Emmanuel said the gathering was a protest against injustice and evil committed against his brother by the federal government.
Kanu who condemned the police for shooting teargas canisters and live ammunition to peaceful protesters said that rather than being cowed, it has emboldened them and given them the courage to push on and will continue to march for the freedom of his elder brother, Nnamdi Kanu.
Emmanuel, describing the march as a success, called on Nnamdi Kanu’s supporters and Igbo across the globe not to be demoralised, adding that the protest will not stop until his brother was released by the federal government.
It was gathered that the protesters were accosted at the A Line Ariaria market by soldiers from the 144 Battalion of the Nigerian Army.
The leader of the soldiers asked the protesters to disperse, arguing that the protest in the market poses great danger to the traders, their businesses and visitors to the Ariaria International market.
He advised them to obtain proper clearance from constituted authorities to hold their peaceful protest outside the market.
However, Sowore and Prince Kanu stood their ground, insisting that the protesters should be allowed to exercise their constitutional right to peaceful protest.
The protesters minutes later, encountered a team of policemen at the A Line section of Faulks road and in an attempt to disperse the crowd started shooting teargas canisters at the protesters and also sporadically shot live ammunition into the air.
Security was said to have beefed up in various military and police formations in the city.
