Security operatives on Monday dispersed protesters demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, after they regrouped at the Utako area of Abuja.
The protesters, who had earlier fled when police fired tear gas canisters at them near the Transcorp Hilton in Maitama, reconvened at Utako to continue their demonstration under the banner of the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow campaign.
However, armed police officers again moved in and used tear gas to break up the gathering.
The demonstrators, made up of civil rights activists and members of pro-democracy groups, were calling on the Federal Government to comply with the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted Kanu.
Witnesses said the earlier confrontation around Maitama caused panic in the area, forcing traders, motorists, and commuters to take cover as smoke from tear gas filled the air.
Security presence has since been reinforced across the Federal Capital Territory, with soldiers, police officers, and operatives of the Department of State Services stationed at key points, including Eagle Square, the Federal Secretariat, and the Three Arms Zone.
At the Berger roundabout, a gun truck was seen mounted as heavily armed soldiers maintained surveillance.