Police arrest AFP journalists covering #FreeNnamdiKanu protest in Abuja

Two journalists working with Agence France-Presse (AFP) have been arrested while they were covering the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja.

The journalists were identified as Nick Roll, an American reporter, and John Okunyomih, a Nigerian videographer.

According to reports, the duo were at the entrance of Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Maitama when police officers fired teargas at protesters demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Eyewitnesses said the AFP journalists were filming the confrontation when security operatives violently accosted and attempted to restrain them. During the scuffle, their camera was damaged and their mobile phones were seized. The officers also allegedly tore off their teargas protection gear.

While Roll was released shortly after the incident, Okunyomih was taken to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command Criminal Investigation Department (CID) before being released later in the day.

Police also arrested Aloy Ejimakor, one of Kanu’s lawyers, during the protest.

Earlier, security operatives had fired multiple rounds of teargas at commuters and activists gathered around the Central Business District to begin the demonstration. Some passersby and workers waiting for transportation were caught in the chaos.

The protest, led by activist and Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, was organised to demand Kanu’s freedom. The IPOB leader has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his re-arrest in June 2021 and is currently standing trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

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