Heavy Security Gridlock In Abuja As Government Braces For Sowore-Led March
Armed soldiers, police officers, and operatives of multiple security agencies were strategically stationed around the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday ahead of a planned protest demanding the immediate release of abducted schoolchildren and teachers still being held by terrorists in Oyo, Borno and other parts of Nigeria.
Security personnel from the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) were deployed at key entry points leading to the Presidential Villa, restricting both pedestrian and vehicular movement in the area.
According to reports, security mounted checkpoints and erected barricades on major roads, preventing many public and private sector workers from accessing their offices. The security measures triggered severe traffic congestion, as roads leading to the Federal Secretariat, National Assembly and Supreme Court were blocked, forcing motorists to seek alternative routes and leaving many commuters stranded.
Human rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, alongside the Take It Back Movement, had called for a peaceful mass protest scheduled for Thursday, June 4, 2026. The demonstration was expected to begin at Eagle Square and proceed to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa from 8:00 a.m.
According to the organisers, the protest was intended to demand the immediate release of schoolchildren, teachers and other victims abducted across the country. They also called on President Bola Tinubu to secure the safe return of the captives or resign from office over what they described as a failure to fulfil the government’s primary responsibility of protecting lives.
The planned protest comes amid growing public concern over recurring mass kidnappings, with many Nigerians demanding safer schools, improved security and greater accountability from those in government.