#ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow: Police Fire Teargas at Protesters, Traders at EDA Plaza

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

EDA Plaza, a popular shopping complex in Jabi, was forced to shut down on Monday after police fired teargas inside the building to disperse protesters demanding the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) leader Nnamdi Kanu.

According to eyewitnesses, protesters, who had earlier gathered in the area as part of the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow campaign, ran into the plaza to escape the tear gas. Police officers reportedly fired multiple rounds inside the premises, prompting journalists, traders, and shoppers to flee in panic.

As of Monday afternoon, the plaza remained closed, with police patrols continuing around the vicinity.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported similar incidents in Utako and Maitama, where security forces used tear gas to disperse demonstrators who regrouped after being driven out from earlier protest points.

The protesters, comprising civil rights activists and pro-democracy groups, have been calling on the Federal Government to comply with the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted Nnamdi Kanu.

The unrest began near the Transcorp Hilton and adjoining Maitama streets, where multiple rounds of teargas reportedly caused panic among commuters, traders, and motorists. After regrouping at Utako, demonstrators continued chanting solidarity songs and displaying banners until security agents intervened again.

The series of dispersals highlight rising tensions in Abuja as activists continue to press for Kanu’s release, while authorities maintain strict crowd control measures in commercial and residential areas.

PUNCH