The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has announced plans to stage a nationwide protest on Monday, October 20, 2025, demanding the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
In an official statement signed by the NANS National President, Comrade Atiku Isah, and dated October 13, 2025, the students’ body disclosed that the coordinated demonstration, tagged “Free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” will see students from all six geopolitical zones mobilise to Abuja for a mass action.
According to the statement, the decision was reached during a recent executive meeting of the association presided over by the NANS president.
“Following the resolution reached at the recent executive meeting of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), the leadership of NANS hereby calls on all Nigerian students to participate in the ‘Free Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’ nationwide protest scheduled to hold on Monday, 20th October, 2025,” the statement read.
To ensure proper coordination and a unified approach, NANS said students would first assemble at designated convergence points within their respective geopolitical zones before proceeding en masse to the Federal Capital Territory.
The identified convergence points include Ekiti State (South West), Enugu State (South East), Edo State (South South), Bauchi State (North East), Kano State (North West), and Lokoja, Kogi State (North Central).
The association revealed that ten buses have been allocated to each zone to facilitate transportation to Abuja. It added that logistics and other arrangements would be coordinated through Students’ Union Government (SUG) presidents across states and campuses.
“This mobilisation is part of our collective demand for justice, civil rights, and democratic accountability,” Isah stated. “As students, we affirm that freedom is achieved through struggle, and we remain committed to peaceful advocacy for what is right.”
The planned protest marks a significant move by NANS to align nationally on a politically sensitive issue. Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention by the Nigerian government has remained a flashpoint of agitation, particularly across the South East, despite multiple court rulings declaring his detention unlawful.
The development comes amid renewed calls from civil rights groups and Igbo socio-political organisations for Kanu’s unconditional release.
