By Samuel Akpan
Heavily armed anti-riot police cordoned off the main gates of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.
The security deployment follows plans by Omoyele Sowore to lead a protest march over the government’s failure to rescue abducted schoolchildren in Oyo and Borno states.
Organized by the “Take-It-Back Movement”—which is affiliated with the African Action Congress (AAC), the party where Sowore serves as presidential candidate—the demonstration was scheduled to flag off from Eagle Square at 8:00 a.m.
Protesters intended to demand the immediate release of all kidnapped schoolchildren and other victims across Nigeria, while urging President Tinubu to secure their freedom or resign for failing to protect citizens.
In a direct challenge, Sowore said: “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.”
He further warned security agents guarding politicians: “Your children are also in schools. If the school becomes a ground for kidnapping, one day your children too will be kidnapped.”
The planned march was sparked by abductions on May 15. About 39 students and seven teachers were seized from Community Grammar School, Baptist Nursery and Primary School, and L.A. Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota communities of Oriire Local Government Area in Oyo State.
Persecondnews recalls that on the same day, 42 pupils were abducted from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba, Borno State.
The federal government responded on Sunday by dispatching a high-powered delegation led by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, alongside the National Security Adviser, Inspector-General of Police and Chief of Defence Staff, to the affected Oyo communities.
President Tinubu approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards and the deployment of a specialised rescue unit.
Authorities said the operation would use both kinetic and non-kinetic measures and called for community cooperation.
In protest against the insecurity, the Nigeria Union of Teachers began an indefinite strike in Oyo State on June 1, shutting schools and holding solidarity rallies in state capitals on June 2.
Access to the Presidential Villa remained restricted to holders of official State House identification tags, with others turned back.
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