The security operatives, numbering several dozens, barricaded Shehu Shagari Way and strategic entry points leading to the Unity Fountain.
Armed policemen have taken over the popular Unity Fountain in Abuja ahead of the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled to hold today.
The security operatives, numbering several dozens, barricaded Shehu Shagari Way and strategic entry points leading to the Unity Fountain.
They mounted Hilux patrol vans, gun trucks, and water cannon vehicles around the Transcorp Hilton junction, effectively restricting both vehicular and pedestrian movement in the area.
Some of the officers were seen opening cartons of teargas canisters, apparently in preparation to disperse protesters and prevent them from gaining access to the protest venue.
The heavy police presence has created tension around the Central Business District,as they are shooting tear gas and the commuters and passers-by were allegedly harassed and turned back from the vicinity.
The protest, tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, is aimed at demanding the immediate release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, whose continued incarceration has sparked renewed agitation across parts of the country.
