Tension gripped parts of Abuja on Monday morning as residents and workers were left stranded following the heavy presence of security personnel who mounted barricades at major entry routes into the city.
The security checkpoints, set up at strategic points, triggered massive traffic gridlock, leaving commuters from Bwari, Ushafa, Dutse, and parts of Kubwa stuck for hours on their way to the city centre.
The development followed plans by activists, including Sahara Reporters publisher Omoyele Sowore, to stage a protest demanding the immediate release of Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The demonstrators had reportedly planned to march towards the State House, the official residence of President Bola Tinubu.
Motorists plying the Nyanya–Mararaba axis were also caught in the traffic snarl caused by the tightened security measures.
At the Sokale area, a frustrated motorist, Usman Jibrin, said he had been stuck in one spot for over an hour.
“If people want to go to the Villa, why should it affect those of us living on the outskirts? Are they afraid protesters will be brought in from outside the city? This is punishment, and God is watching,” he lamented.
The protest, tagged #FreeNnamdiKanuNow, is one of several agitations calling for the release of the IPOB leader, who has been in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021.
