Human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, has declared that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has suffered a major setback following Monday’s protest demanding the release of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Sowore made the remark in a Facebook post after security operatives dispersed protesters who had gathered in parts of Abuja for the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration.

He wrote, “We have inflicted a crushing defeat on the regime, they attacked and brutalized our people but our determination only intensified from Maiatama to Utako to Apo. #FreeNnamdiKanuNow!”

The protest, which was scheduled to take off from the Transcorp Hilton area, was met with heavy security presence as early as 7 a.m.

Armed police and military officers reportedly took over major locations including Maitama, Utako, and Apo, firing multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse demonstrators and passers-by.

In a viral video, Sowore and several protesters were seen fleeing as officers launched tear gas canisters at them.

The protesters had planned to march to the Presidential Villa to press for Kanu’s release, but the security operatives cordoned off the area and disrupted the rally before it gathered momentum.

Sowore, however, maintained that the resistance against the government’s actions had strengthened the movement’s resolve. (Tribune)