Abuja plaza closed after police fired teargas at protesters

A popular shopping complex, EDA Plaza, in the Jabi area of Abuja, has been closed after police fired teargas into the premises while dispersing protesters on Monday.

The protesters, who had earlier converged in the area to demand the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, were dispersed by security operatives.

Some of them ran into the plaza to escape the tear gas.

Our correspondent saw police officers firing multiple rounds of teargas into the building, forcing journalists, traders and customers to flee in panic.

As of the time of filing this report, the plaza remained shut, with police patrol vehicles moving around the area.

 earlier report that police officers dispersed protesters demanding the release of the detained leader of the IPOB at the Utako area of Abuja.

The protesters, who had earlier been forced to flee after police fired tear gas canisters at them around the Maitama area, later regrouped at Utako to continue their demonstration.

However, armed operatives again moved in and dispersed them.

The demonstrators, made up of civil rights activists and members of pro-democracy groups, were part of the #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow campaign aimed at pressuring the Federal Government to comply with the 2022 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged and acquitted Kanu.

Earlier in the day, police had fired multiple rounds of tear gas at protesters and passersby near the Transcorp Hilton and adjoining streets in Maitama.

The development created panic, forcing commuters, traders, and motorists to run for safety.

After regrouping at Utako, the protesters continued chanting solidarity songs and displaying banners before security agents again used tear gas to scatter them.