The Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the case filed by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF)against human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and other conveners of the #FreeNnamdiKanuprotest, following the absence of the presiding judge.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Justice Mohammed Umar, who was scheduled to preside over the matter, was unavoidably absent as he was sitting at the court’s Enugu Division.
The case, which appeared on Wednesday’s cause list, has now been rescheduled for November 5 for the hearing of the motion on notice.
The police had earlier approached the court seeking an order restraining Sowore and others from holding protests in parts of Abuja on October 20, calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The adjournment means that the motion filed by the police, as well as the response from the defense, will be heard at the next sitting.
Legal observers and human rights advocates are closely monitoring the case, viewing it as a major test of citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and free expression under Nigeria’s democratic framework.