The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has declared allcustodial centres nationwide as red zones ahead of the ‘free Nnamdi Kanu’protest. Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB), has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) sincehis re-arrest in June 2021. Omoyele Sowore, an activist and publisher of SaharaReporters, had announced that a protest march to the presidential villa, onKanu’s continued detention, will hold on October 20. The protest is expected to take place around Eagle Squareand the Central Business District. The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) had also asked groupsplanning demonstrations against the detention of the IPOB leader to respect acourt order restricting protests around key government areas. The force also warned that anyone who uses protests as coverto commit violence, destroy property, or incite unrest either physically orthrough social media would be “dealt with decisively”. In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja, Abubakar Umar,spokesperson of the service, said the warning is meant to prevent unauthorisedaccess to the facilities during the demonstration. He described the correctional centres as restricted areas,urging the public to steer clear. “The public is hereby informed that all correctional centresare declared as red zones,” Umar said. “The NCoS reiterates that correctional centres arerestricted areas. Anyone who has no official business therein should stay offto avoid any untoward incidents or security breaches.” Umar called for cooperation with security agencies to ensurepeace and safety throughout the protest.
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