The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Wednesday, rescheduled the hearing of the suit filed by the police against Omoyele Sowore and other conveners of the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest until November 5.

The development followed the absence of the presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Umar.

The matter, which was number 11 on Wednesday’s case list, was consequently fixed for November 5 for the hearing of the motion notice.

Mr Umar had, on October 17, fixed October 20 for the respondents in the police ex parte motion to show cause why the court’s interim order against the protesters should be vacated.

The hearing was, however, stalled as a result of the October 20 protest, which was held on the same day, crippling the court activities at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

The judge had granted an interim order sought by the police, restraining Mr Sowore and others from protesting for the release of Nnamdi Kanu in some sensitive areas in Abuja.

Mr Umar barred the protesters from demonstrating around the Aso Rock Villa, the National Assembly, the police HQ, the Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way, pending the hearing of the motion on notice.

The judge also made an order of abridgement of time “within which the respondents will respond to the application on notice to cause the ex parte order to be set aside on October 20, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. before adjournment for hearing of the motion on notice.

The order followed an ex parte motion filed by the police lawyer, Wisdom Madaki, on behalf of the government on October 17.

The police force, in the ex parte motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2202/2025, had sued Mr Sowore, Sahara Reporters Ltd, and Sahara Reporters’ Media Foundation as first to third respondents.

The force also joined the Take It Back Movement for the transformation of Nigeria, or any form of organisation, or any other person(s) acting on either express or implied instruction, or any other organisation or group with a like intention, and unknown persons as the fourth to fifth respondents, respectively.

In the affidavit in support of the ex parte motion deposed to by Bassey Ibithan, a police officer attached to the Directorate of Legal Services, Force Headquarters, Abuja, the officer averred that if not granted, the protest might threaten national security.

Mr Sowore, a politician and activist, had planned to organise the protest for the release of Mr Kanu, the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra.

Mr Sowore, who was also the 2019 and 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, had mobilised for what he called a planned peaceful protest against Mr Kanu’s detention.

(NAN)