Nigerian Students To Storm Abuja October 20 For Nnamdi Kanu’s Release

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has begun nationwide mobilisation for a mass protest demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

In a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Atiku Isah, and dated October 13, 2025, the association said the protest, tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, will take place on Monday, October 20, 2025. The event will see students from all parts of the country converge on Abuja in a coordinated show of solidarity.

The statement explained that the decision to embark on the demonstration followed resolutions reached at the NANS executive meeting presided over by the president.

The students’ body said the movement aims to demand justice and accountability from the government over Kanu’s continued detention, which it described as unlawful and politically motivated.

According to the plan, students from each geopolitical zone will assemble at designated convergence points before heading to the Federal Capital Territory. The South West will meet in Ekiti, the South East in Enugu, and the South South in Edo. Those in the North East will gather in Bauchi, while the North West and North Central will assemble in Kano and Lokoja, respectively.

To ensure smooth coordination, NANS said ten buses have been assigned to each zone, with logistics handled through Students’ Union Government (SUG) presidents in various campuses and states. The association said the mobilisation is part of its larger commitment to defend human rights, democratic values, and the rule of law.

The group maintained that its protest would remain peaceful but firm in demanding Kanu’s freedom, describing it as a struggle for justice and fairness.

Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since his rearrest in 2021, continues to attract widespread sympathy and agitation across the South East. Several civil rights groups and Igbo socio-political organisations have also renewed their calls for his unconditional release after multiple court rulings declared his detention illegal.

NANS’ planned action signals a new wave of youth involvement in one of Nigeria’s most polarising political issues, as thousands of students are expected to participate in what the union calls a nationwide demonstration for justice.