In a fresh legal twist, the Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an interim restraining order against activist and politician Omoyele Sowore, along with four others, barring them from staging or promoting protests near sensitive government areas in the Federal Capital Territory.
The order — granted on October 17, 2025 by Justice M.G. Umar in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025 — restricts Sowore and his co-organisers from mobilising demonstrations “within and around” Aso Rock Presidential Villa, the National Assembly Complex, the Police Force Headquarters, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.
According to reports from Channels TV and Premium Times, the government sought the order ahead of a planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest scheduled for October 20.
The Nigeria Police Force subsequently warned protesters to obey the order or risk arrest.
However, Sowore — a former presidential candidate and pro-democracy advocate — has rejected the legitimacy of the ruling, describing it as an attempt to silence dissent.
In a post on his official Facebook page, he argued that no valid service of the order was made and vowed to challenge it in court.
The hearing on the motion for the substantive case is set for October 20, 2025.
Legal analysts note that while the order does not amount to a blanket ban on protests, it raises key constitutional questions about freedom of assembly and executive overreach.