Heavy Security At Aso Rock Over Planned Anti-kidnapping Protest

THERE were reports of heavy security presence around the access routes to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja, on Thursday morning, June 4, with the main gates of the State House cordoned off by anti-riot policemen.
According to the Punch report, this followed a planned march to the Villa by protesters, led by human rights activist and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, who vowed to lead protesters to the seat of government if the abducted schoolchildren from Oyo and Borno states were not rescued.
Heavy deployment of anti-riot Police was noticed at the Villa’s main entrance, with officers in full riot gear forming a cordon around the gates, while access to the premises remained restricted to persons without State House identification tags, with security personnel turning back others who attempted to approach.
Recall that Sowore announced on Wednesday, June 3, that AAC’s leadership and its affiliated, Take It Back Movement, would march from Eagle Square in Abuja to the Presidential Villa from 8a.m. on Thursday, June 4, under the hashtag #OccupyAsoRock, to demand the immediate release of school children and other victims kidnapped across the country.
He urged President Tinubu to ensure the safe return of the abducted children or resign from office for failing in the fundamental duty of protecting the lives and security of Nigerians, saying: “You cannot claim to be President of Nigeria and then refuse to do the job of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. We are not here to beg anybody.
“We are just asking people who claim they are elected to protect Nigerians to do their work. It would have been great if the number of policemen preventing this march could instead protect our schools.”
To security agents protecting politicians, he said: “Your children are also in schools. If the school becomes a ground for kidnapping, one day your children too will be kidnapped.”
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) declared an indefinite strike in Oyo State beginning June 1, with schools shut, and nationwide solidarity rallies across state capitals on June 2 to draw further attention to the plight of the victims and their families, as well as concerns of many Nigerians over rising insecurity.