Nigerian soldiers have taken over major road linking to Abuja 72 hours before planned hunger protests.
According to Daily Trust, the soldiers on Monday mounted a roadblock at Sani Abacha barracks before the popular AYA roundabout. This development left many commuters plying the Keffi-Abuja expressway stranded.
Security agencies did not give any prior warning to the blockade that has caused a gridlock extending as far as Nyanya Bridge, more than 12 kilometres from the checkpoint.
Civil servants and traders who work in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) live outside the city centre in places such as Nyanya, Karu, Maraba, and Masaka.
After hours of standstill, many of them were forced to return home.
This is coming three days to the planned nationwide protest over the current economic hardship in Nigeria.
Some youths are planning a nationwide protest from August 1 against the rising cost of living and economic hardship in the country.
Meanwhile, Organizers of the planned nationwide protests have vowed to go ahead with the use of Eagle Square in Abuja despite alleged resistance from the government.
The Mobilization Director of the Take It Back Movement, Damilare Adenola stated this on Sunday when he appeared on Channels TV program, Sunday Politics.
He stated that the organization had issued a letter to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, seeking permission to use the facility.
Recall that Wike, in an interactive town hall meeting with residents on Saturday, claimed that he only heard about the letter on social media.
Reacting to Wike’s claim, Damilare said “It is possible that the receipt of the letter is being delayed by bureaucracy in government or the minister is likely being insincere about receiving the letter”.
He assured that another letter would be issued on Monday to ensure that permission to use the facility was appropriately obtained.
Damilare, however, insisted that with or without Wike’s permission, “We are going to be at the Eagle Square on August 1st”.
“The truth is that the Eagle Square is a public property. When I saw the video of the minister, I was amazed because I saw the minister asking us to pay rent, pay security fees and all that”, he said.