Planned Protest: Security Operatives Restrict Access to Presidential Villa

Deji Elumoye in Abuja

There was heavy presence of armed security men at the entry points to the seat of government, the Presidential Villa, on Thursday.
Personnel of the security agencies invluding the Army, Police and Department of State Services (DSS) restricted access to only residents and persons with official business within the area amid concerns over a planned protest over the recent abduction of school children and teachers in Oyo State.
A combined team of the military personnel cordoned off the nation’s seat of power, turning back motorists and pedestrians who could not establish legitimate reasons for entering the area.
The unusually tight security measures affected the two major access routes leading to the State House; the road from the Federal Secretariat and Supreme Court axis and the route from the Asokoro end, where armed security personnel were deployed in large numbers from as early as 7am on Thursday.
Access to the area was limited strictly to residents of the Presidential Villa community, government officials, workers and other persons with verifiable engagements within the State House and adjoining offices.
Security operatives at the various checkpoints subjected visitors to thorough scrutiny, demanding identification and explanations of their destinations before being allowed to pass.
Many motorists without official business in the area were denied entry and directed to take alternative routes, resulting in disruptions to vehicular movement around parts of the Three Arms Zone and adjoining roads.
The heightened security around tge seat of government may not be unconnected with the threat by rights activist and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, to lead a protest march to the Presidential Villa if schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State were not rescued by Thursday.
He had declared that protesters would march to the Presidential Villa on Thursday if the abducted children and teachers remained in captivity.
His words: “On Thursday, we are going to Aso Rock Villa if the children are not rescued. You cannot claim to be president of Nigeria and refuse to do the job of the commander of the armed forces”.