The Nigerian police fired tear gas to disperse protesters who had gathered in the capital, Abuja, over the continued detention of separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu. The demonstrators, led by activist and publisher of the Sahara Reporters news site, Omoyele Sowore, were calling for the immediate release of Kanu, who has been on trial for terrorism charges since 2021 and heads the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (Ipob). Eyewitnesses reported that the police fired multiple rounds of tear gas at crowds gathering from as early as 07:00, while major roads were blocked, leading to heavy traffic congestion across the city. In a post on X, Sowore indicated that many individuals, including Kanu's family members and legal team, had been arrested, though the police have not publicly commented on these arrests. Kanu, who holds British citizenship, has been seen as a cult hero for his supporters in the southeast of Nigeria, despite the Nigerian government's efforts to suppress the Ipob. The separatist group, banned as a terrorist organization in 2017, continues to seek independence for the Biafran region, a cause that has sparked significant unrest in recent years.