Abducted pupils: Heavy security at Aso Villa as Sowore leads protest

Human rights activist and presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore led a protest in Abuja on Thursday, demanding the immediate rescue of abducted schoolchildren nationwide. The demonstration, initially planned to march on the Presidential Villa, was rerouted to the Federal High Court after security forces blocked access routes to Aso Rock.

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The situation in Nigeria is the worst of all the countries surrounding us today. We are here as a rehearsal for what might become the final push for a revolution in this country.

Security around the Presidential Villa was significantly increased, with anti-riot police cordoning off the main gates and restricting entry to those with official identification. Correspondents observed a heavy deployment of fully equipped anti-riot police at the Villa's main entrance. Nigeria Police Force, military, and civil defense personnel also blocked roads leading to the Federal Secretariat, causing traffic congestion in parts of the capital.

Addressing journalists, Sowore described Nigeria's security situation as dire. He called on President Bola Tinubu to ensure the swift rescue of kidnapped schoolchildren. "The situation in Nigeria is the worst of all the countries surrounding us today," Sowore stated. "We are here as a rehearsal for what might become the final push for a revolution in this country."

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We are asking that Tinubu, with immediate effect, go and rescue the children who were kidnapped from their schools across the country and get them released immediately. So, this march is to harass the release of those children.

He urged Tinubu to "with immediate effect, go and rescue the children who were kidnapped from their schools across the country and get them released immediately." Sowore explained that similar demonstrations were occurring nationwide to pressure the government. "This is the Abuja version. We were planning, or we actually planned to go to the Villa, but they put soldiers in large numbers," he said.

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This is the Abuja version. We were planning, or we actually planned to go to the Villa, but they put soldiers in large numbers.

Sowore emphasized the protest's peaceful nature, stating organizers were committed to avoiding confrontation with security forces. "It's not safe; we cannot put the soldiers aside. But we decided that because it's a peaceful process, we will not have any confrontation with the soldiers or police," he explained. Despite the heavy security presence, Sowore asserted that protesters were undeterred. "We are not afraid of soldiers. We are not afraid of the police. We are not afraid of anybody. But it is they who should be afraid of us, the people. We are the people paying them. We are their employers," he declared.

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It’s not safe; we cannot put the soldiers aside. But we decided that because it’s a peaceful process, we will not have any confrontation with the soldiers or police.