Residents of Abuja were left stranded on Monday morning as security forces mounted barricades at key entry points across the nation’s capital, leading to heavy gridlock and widespread frustration.
Commuters from areas such as Bwari, Ushafa, Dutse, and parts of Kubwa were stuck for hours on their way to the city centre, while similar reports emerged from the Nyanya–Mararaba axis where checkpoints caused massive traffic congestion.
The development followed the planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest, led by activist Omoyele Sowore and other activists, who had mobilised to march to the Presidential Villa to demand the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.
A motorist, Usman Jibrin, who was caught in the traffic around the Sokale area, lamented that 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 on the outskirts? Are they afraid that protesters will be brought in from outside the city? This is punishment, and God is watching,” he said.
The heavy security presence and barricades, reportedly set up to prevent the planned protest from reaching the Presidential Villa, crippled movement across several parts of the capital, leaving both workers and residents stranded for hours.
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
