The Eda Building Materials Plaza in Jabi, Abuja, was forced to shut down on Monday after police fired tear gas to disperse #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protesters causing chaos that spilled into nearby shops and left both traders and customers fleeing for safety.
Eyewitnesses told reporters that the demonstration, which began peacefully, quickly turned chaotic when officers attempted to break up the crowd chanting “Free Nnamdi Kanu!”
The protesters had earlier marched through Maitama, Berger and Utako areas before converging near Jabi Plaza, where security operatives intervened.
“The police started shooting tear gas everywhere, and people didn’t even know where to run,” said a trader who identified herself as Ngozi.
“Customers and protesters were all mixed together. We had to lock our shops and run out.”
Multiple tear gas canisters were reportedly fired into the busy commercial complex, with witnesses saying officers struggled to distinguish between demonstrators and bystanders.
Several people sustained minor injuries as they scrambled to escape the thick smoke.
In response, the management of Eda Plaza ordered an immediate closure of business operations “to safeguard lives and property” and prevent further escalation.
The protest was part of a broader movement demanding the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since June 2021.
Security was already tight in parts of Abuja following earlier gatherings near the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) headquarters in Maitama, where police also used tear gas to disperse protesters.
As of press time, calm had been restored around Jabi, though several shops remained closed and police patrols continued in the area to deter further demonstrations.
