Description: Protesters demanding the release of Nnamdi Kanu clashed with police forces on several locations across Nigeria’s capital, Juba. The police managed to quickly disburse the groups while some reported that live munition was used on several occasions when the police tried to intimidate the protesters. The police blocked several major roads in the capital creating traffic disruptions as the civil unrest unfolded. Kanu is a British – Nigerian citizen and former leader of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) movement. He has been imprisoned on terrorism charges due to activities conducted by the organization’s armed wing, the Eastern Security Network, which has been accused of atrocities and killings in recent years. Kanu was arrested in 2015 and released on bail in 2019. His re – arrest arrived in 2021 when the Nigerian security forces extradited him from Kenya. The Supreme Court in 2022 overturned a previous decision on his case made by an Appeal Court to release him and his defense is expected to argue the case on Thursday.
Impact: Nigeria has been engaged in a longstanding struggle with rampant terrorist and separatist attacks which are locking its economic oil and trade potential. The pro – separatist protests in Juba weren’t large in numbers and the public outcry for the accused separatist leader gained no significant traction, however, the incidents only complement Nigeria’s difficulties in handling threats originating from terrorist and separatist organizations. Nigerian security forces have been fighting an inflaming resurgence of the Islamic State terrorist in Katsina and Borno states, while Boko Haram has only increased its attacks on the country’s weakened regions. The IPOB movement is connected to a deadly conflict with historical origins in 1967, when more than 1 million people have died in the three-year civil war in the attempted secession of the Republic of Biafra from Nigeria. The incitement of the movement represents clear and present danger to the already deteriorating security state in the country and represents a major long – term threat to the country’s security and territorial integrity.