IPC Condemns Police Assault on Journalists Covering #FreeNnamdiKanuNow Protest in Abuja
The International Press Centre (IPC) has condemned police attacks on journalists covering the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja. IPC calls for investigation and justice, stressing that journalists’ constitutional rights must be respected.
The International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos–Nigeria, through its Safety and Protection of Journalists (SPJ) Hub, has strongly condemned the reported attacks on journalists covering the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest held on Monday, October 20, 2025.
According to information gathered by the IPC–SPJ Hub, several journalists who were on the ground to report the protest—coordinated by activist Omoyele Sowore to demand the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)—were subjected to various forms of assault, including unlawful arrests, confiscation of equipment, and damage to vehicles.
The IPC detailed the following incidents as documented by its SPJ Hub:
BUSINESSDAY MEDIA CREW ATTACKED:
Journalists Tony Ailemen, Tunde Adeniyi, Ladi Patrick-Okwoli, and Michael Godwin narrowly escaped death when police officers fired teargas directly at their vehicle during the protest.
The teargas shattered their windshield as the crew conducted a vox pop interview on the demonstration.
AFP Journalists Arrested:
Two Agence France-Presse (AFP) correspondents, John Okunyomih and Nicholas Roll, were arrested by police operatives while covering the event. Their phones, cameras, and other equipment were seized after officers allegedly fired teargas at them before making the arrest.
In a statement, Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the IPC, described the attacks as “a disturbing recurrence of history,” emphasizing that journalists performing legitimate duties should never be subjected to intimidation or assault by security agencies.
Arogundade lamented that “the rights of journalists to cover and report protests and other societal activities, as guaranteed by the 1999 Nigerian Constitution and relevant international frameworks, continue to be disregarded.”
He therefore called on the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to investigate the incidents and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Signed:
Melody Akinjiyan
Press Freedom Officer, IPC
Email: melodyakinjiyan@ipcng.org
