Umuahia, the capital of Abia State, was completely brought to a standstill on Monday as residents withdrew from their daily activities in solidarity with the ongoing #FreeNnamdiKanuNow campaign championed by rights activist Omoyele Sowore.
Shops, markets, banks, and public offices remained closed throughout the day, while major roads such as Aba Road, Ikot Ekpene Road, and Bende Road were largely deserted. Only a few vehicles and pedestrians were seen moving around the city centre as residents observed what many described as a “voluntary sit-at-home.”
The solidarity action was part of a nationwide movement demanding the immediate release of 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) despite several court rulings ordering his release.
Eyewitnesses reported that groups of youths, traders, and civil society supporters gathered in clusters around the city early in the morning, displaying placards with inscriptions such as “Justice for Kanu,” “End Political Detention,” and “Freedom is a Right.”
Though no major street protest took place in Umuahia, the atmosphere remained tense, with a noticeable presence of security operatives patrolling strategic areas to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
A trader at Isi-Gate Market, who identified herself as Nneka, told reporters that she closed her shop “to show support for our brother,” adding that “the government should obey the law and release Nnamdi Kanu.”
Sowore, who has been at the forefront of similar demonstrations in Abuja and other cities, had earlier called for nationwide solidarity actions to pressure the Federal Government into complying with the court’s judgment on Kanu’s case.
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