Police officers have fired tear gas at protesters, including human rights activist Omoyele Sowore.
They had gathered in Abuja on Monday, to demand the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
The protest, tagged #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow, was planned to take off from the Transcorp Hilton area and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but was disrupted as police officers moved in early, firing multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse participants and passersby.
The operatives, who had cordoned off the hotel and adjoining streets, began firing tear gas even before protesters arrived in large numbers.
Our correspondent had observed a visibly tightened atmosphere across the city on the way this morning.
Soldiers, police, and operatives of the Department of State Services were deployed to key locations, including the Three Arms Zone, Eagle Square, Federal Secretariat, Unity Fountain, and routes leading to Aso Rock.
