The suit seeking to restrict protests organised by human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, suffered a setback as a scheduled hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja failed to proceed due to administrative delays.
Filed by the Nigeria Police Force, the suit aims to enforce an earlier court order prohibiting protesters from converging around sensitive government areas in the Federal Capital Territory, including the Presidential Villa, the National Assembly, and Force Headquarters.
Court officials, lawyers, and litigants had arrived for the hearing in Abuja, only to discover that proceedings could not be held.
The disruption was reportedly caused by coordination issues and an unusually heavy security presence around the court premises, where barricades had been set up to prevent further demonstrations.
As gathered, the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar, who had earlier issued the restraining order, was unable to commence the hearing due to the logistical challenges and lingering tension linked to previous protests in the city.
The development brought court operations to a standstill for several hours, leaving legal representatives, journalists, and other litigants stranded.
In earlier proceedings, the court had rejected an urgent police request to impose a blanket ban on the protest, instead issuing a limited order restricting gatherings near key government institutions.
As of press time, no new date had been fixed for the continuation of the case. Both the police and legal representatives of Sowore had yet to issue official statements regarding the stalled proceedings.
